Average

Burundi received a recognition award on Monday March 6, 2023, awarded by the Presidential Emergency Plan for the fight once morest AIDS (PEPFAR), for the results achieved from 95/95/95 concerning the elimination of HIV/AIDS in the country. Nevertheless, the fight once morest this scourge continues.

“From 2012 to 2022, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission decreased from 10.08 to 4.62 and the evolution of new infections decreased from 3.115 to 2.304,” reads the report. of HIV/AIDS/STI control activities.

Efforts made

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a plague recognized in various countries of the world and has seen its appearance in Burundi since 1983. To prevent it, we have focused in particular on the prevention of the transmission of HIV by sexual means. , by blood and the prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child.

The report of the Review of the National Plan for the Fight once morest AIDS of March 15, 2022, shows that the country has made progress in achieving the 90-90-90 objectives, that is to say that 89% of people living with HIV have known their status, 98% have been put on ARV treatment and 90% of people treated no longer develop a viral load.

According to this same report, certain strategies have been implemented to achieve these results, among others: the decentralization of services, the readiness of the country to apply WHO recommendations for the prevention and treatment of HIV, the participation of community organizations and communities to raise public awareness, financial support from the Global Fund and PEPFAR and the commitment of health providers and community health workers…

What can be done to put an end to this disease?

Despite this improvement, HIV persists. Burundians should not throw in the towel because this scourge has not been completely eradicated. Other means of prevention such as the use of condoms, management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), voluntary screening should be reinforced.

Users of the avenue des Etats-Unis are worried regarding the fact that this road is in an incredible state of defect. And the ARB reassures them that within two weeks the work of its rehabilitation will be able to start

It is Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Around 8:40 a.m., a reporter from Burundi Eco visits United States Avenue located in the Kigobe district of Ntahangwa commune in the municipality of Bujumbura. The route begins at the General Commissariat for Migration and ends where the office of the Lake Tanganyika authority is located.

At this place, the state of this road is chilling. She is in a state of unheard-of defect. In some places, one wonders if this axis would have been macadamized. It is characterized by many potholes.

When it rains, this road is full of puddles. As a result of these inconveniences, users find it difficult to move around. They jostle each other to make their way.

Users are concerned regarding the state of Avenue des Etats-Unis

Users are concerned regarding the condition of this road, as it is used by many people, including high authorities.

By way of illustration, we can cite those who work at the Commissariat of Migration, at the United States Embassy, ​​at the Court of Auditors, at the Ministry of Education, etc.

They indicate that the poor condition of this axis causes accidents. In addition, vehicles break down. And to add that people keep falling into puddles in case of heavy rains.

This is why they are asking the government to rehabilitate this road to avoid the worst.

The director general of the Road Agency of Burundi (ARB) Sylvestre Nsanzerugeze reassures the users of the avenue of the United States.

According to him, this road can be rehabilitated within two weeks. This agency is waiting for the tar to be available to start the work.

It should be noted that there are still other roads whose condition leaves something to be desired in the municipality of Bujumbura despite the policy of zero potholes launched some time ago.

Closure of exchange offices, opening of exchange offices, these are the measures that have been successively taken to make the exchange market fluid. Can we say that the bet has been won?

The value of the greenback once morest the BIF, especially on the black market can tell us more. While on the official exchange rate the dollar is currently selling for at least 2095 BIF, on the parallel market it is something else. Newly licensed exchange offices opt for not displaying prices and prefer to operate like the black market. On this one, the price of the dollar goes beyond 4000 BIF, an increase of more than 50%.

However, the greenback bought on the parallel market contributes to the level of exports for regarding 70%. The politician believes that to obtain it, production must be increased by investing in growth sectors such as agriculture.

Unfortunately, those who invest in this sector struggle to find not only the fertilizers, but also the selected seeds to carry out their projects.

In addition, the subsoil is very rich, another asset to boost the return of foreign currency to the country. Slogans illuminate it better “Twicaye ku gahiye” translated into French as “We are sitting on gold”. A year or more has passed and the sector remains lethargic. The authorized authorities only authorize the artisanal exploitation of gold by the cooperatives with a probability that the latter will not declare their real production.

Moreover, coffee, which once generated foreign currency, is no longer a priority for Burundian farmers. Reforms in this sector are less numerous and coffee growers continue to lose interest in it. Tea tends to dethrone coffee, but for how long. Here too, immobility seems to supplant innovation.

With this first quarter of the year, the time is no longer for trial and error. The fight once morest the currency shortage is reaching a decisive stage. The currency shortage remains a major challenge that must be met at all costs. Otherwise, prices will continue to be affected by this shortage and the rising cost of living.