Bujumbura : breastfeeding mothers face transportation obstacles

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, September 10, 2025 – While the World Breastfeeding Week emphasizes the importance of exclusively breastfeeding one’s child for six months, many mothers in Bujumbura struggle to follow this recommendation. Transportation difficulties lengthen journeys and complicate the daily lives of women who wish to breastfeed.

The World Breastfeeding Week was launched on Monday, September 8, at Prince Régent Charles Hospital in Bujumbura, the commercial capital of the small east African nation. While authorities and health partners emphasize the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, some mothers denounce the practical obstacles.

For Micheline Manirampa, from Mirango, north of Bujumbura, exclusively breastfeeding her son was impossible : “My seven-month-old son started drinking cow’s milk at three months old. My travel prevented me from getting home to breastfeed on time, and formula is too expensive,” she explains.

The same goes for Yvette Kaneza, from Kamenge, also north of the city. “To say you’re in a hurry to feed your baby while others have been waiting for the bus for two hours is very difficult,” she confides. Some women give up their jobs or walk home to breastfeed.

The Ministry of Health points out that the Burundian law grants 49 days of maternity leave and flexible working hours for working mothers : two hours a day for six months, then one hour. But many consider these measures insufficient in the face of transport-related delays.

The UNICEF emphasizes that exclusive breastfeeding is “the first food, the first vaccine, and the best guarantee of food security for the newborn,” and that it also reduces the risk of cancer in the mother while reducing family expenses.

In Bujumbura, mothers are calling for more appropriate support, particularly in terms of transportation and time off work, so that exclusive breastfeeding for six months does not remain an unattainable ideal.

The small east African nation has been undergoing a persistent fuel crisis for nearly five years, affecting all sectors of the country’s life.