Burunga : Rumonge takes strict measures to contain cholera

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, October 14, 2025 — Following the confirmation of three cholera cases in Rutumo village, in the Minago zone, Rumonge district, Burunga province, southern Burundi, the district administration announced a series of strict measures to stop the spread of the disease. The population is urged to remain vigilant as cholera resurfaces in several regions of the country.

The three infected people were transferred to Magara Hospital, located in Muhuta district, Bujumbura province, in the west of the country. Local health authorities ensure that they are currently receiving treatment, while health services remain mobilized to contain the disease.

During a meeting held on October 13 with the district epidemic control committee, district administrator Augustin Minani imposed new hygiene rules applicable to all households and public places. It is now forbidden to urinate or defecate in the open, under penalty of sanctions. Each household must have compliant latrines and a water point for handwashing.

Public places such as restaurants, bars, hair salons, markets, and car washes are also required to install handwashing facilities with soap and water. Disposal of waste in rivers, streets, or Lake Tanganyika is now punishable by law, in accordance with the Hygiene and Sanitation Act.

District authorities also prohibit the preparation of food near water points, swimming, and washing clothes in undeveloped rivers or Lake Tanganyika. Residents are encouraged to use water sources exclusively from water points approved by local authorities.

According to several residents, this epidemic outbreak is linked to the lack of access to drinking water, a recurring problem in several rural areas of Rumonge district, where the population still relies on Lake Tanganyika for its daily needs.

A worrying resurgence in the northwest

According to other information gathered by SOS Médias Burundi, the situation is even more worrying in the northwest of the country, particularly in the districts of Cibitoke and Bukinanyana, where at least 13 people have died as a result of the epidemic, according to medical sources who spoke to SOS Médias Burundi. Nearly 500 cases have also been recorded in these two districts.

Local health authorities state that medical teams are continuing disinfection operations, community awareness campaigns, and chlorine distribution in affected households. Areas near the Rusizi River remain particularly at risk due to poor hygiene conditions and lack of access to clean drinking water.

Faced with this resurgence, the Ministry of Public Health is calling for a national mobilization to curb the spread of cholera, emphasizing strict compliance with hygiene measures in all affected provinces.