The First Deputy-Speaker participates in the High Level Forum of Women Leaders

From October 10 to 11, 2022, the First Deputy-Speaker of the Senate, Honourable Denise Ndadaye, accompanied by some senators, participated in the third edition of the High Level Forum of Women Leaders, organized by the Office of the First Lady for the Development in Burundi (OPDD-BURUNDI), for members of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OPDAD), for the period from October 10 to 12, 2022, in the City of Bujumbura, under the High patronage of His Excellency Prosper Bazombanza, Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi, who had represented the Head of State.

This Forum was organized under the theme: “health and nutrition of women, newborns, children and adolescents.”

In his opening speech of the activities of the Forum, His Excellency Prosper Bazombanza indicated that the health, nutrition and well-being of the Burundian population remain a priority of the government of Burundi.

He explained that Burundi has put in place strategies to improve the health and nutrition of the Burundian population, in particular by making agriculture a priority, and through the creation of communal hospitals and other health structures. He emphasized that it has already made significant progress.

According to him, the government of Burundi has also initiated a policy aimed at improving the well-being of women and young people, by creating banks that contribute to their development.

Among the sub-themes developed during this Forum we can note:

1. the acceleration of the reduction of maternal, neonatal and infant mortality in Burundi;
2. the nutrition of women, newborns, children and adolescents;
3. the transformation of food systems to make them healthier, nutritional, affordable, sustainable and resilient.

Other persons who took part in this meeting were the various delegations of OPDAD members, including that led by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency Aisha Buhari, as well as that led by Her Excellency the former First Lady of the United Republic of Tanzania, Her Excellency Salma Kikwete.