Partnerships in International Medical Education
According to the World Health Authority (WHO), 37% of deaths in Burundi are due to Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) with age-standardisedmortality rates for cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer and diabetes of 720 per 100,000 in males and 582 in females in 2021.
PRIME and the Burundian Christian Medical and Dental Association (BCMDA) worked in partnership to develop effective hybrid teaching sessions with content focused on NCDs and leadership topics.
Following the initial pilot teaching sessions BCMDA has developed local church partnerships to provide free screening for hypertension and elevated blood glucose with a total of over 1,100 people having been screened. A PRIME tutor and the Chair of the BCMDA have worked closely in developing this through Zoom and in-person meetings along with BCMDA leaders, some of whom have been actively involved in PRIME teaching (eg Arusha 2023). We plan to deepen these partnerships and provide training to church leaders and workers on best practices in the management of these, and other NCDs.