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Triple protection for children against malaria in Cibitoke

In Burundi, malaria has been the leading cause of hospitalisation and death among young children for years. To reduce the risks and consequences of this life-threatening disease, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Ministry of Health have launched a unique initiative in the country: combining three preventive measures on a large scale, simultaneously, in one of the health districts most affected by malaria—Cibitoke.

Since 2025, an innovative ‘triple protection’ approach is implemented in the district, combining malaria vaccination, long-term preventive treatment, and the provision of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, all at the same time.

Cibitoke is the only health district in the country where this three-pronged strategy is being implemented. The aim is to drastically reduce the incidence of malaria among young children through the combined effect of these three interventions.

Malaria is a major public health issue in Burundi. In this country of around 14 million people, several million cases are reported each year. According to the WHO, more than 1,800 malaria-related deaths were recorded in 2023, mainly among children under the age of five. In 2023, an estimated 95% of the 597,000 global malaria-related deaths occurred in Africa. The disease remains a major emergency across much of the continent, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

MSBSTO56359

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