Diaspora Engagement to Develop Medical and Psychiatric Sectors in Burundi

Despite the fact that the Government of Burundi is increasingly seeking to engage its diaspora in efforts to contribute to the country’s development, Burundi is seriously lacking mental health professionals and services.

The objective of this project is to assist the Government of Burundi in mobilizing diaspora resources for the development of medical and psychiatric sectors in Burundi and to decentralize the mental health care system by sending newly graduated medical students to the Kamenge Neurological and Psychiatric Centre’s antennas in the provinces.

Project outputs that will contribute towards the objective include:

• Delivering specific and targeted courses to medical students;
• Decentralizing the psychiatry trainings in the provinces;
• A fair allocation of resources (recently graduated medical students) among the rural and urban areas of Burundi.