The Pandemic Fund

Background

In 2024, a new strain of mpox was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo and began spreading rapidly to other countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and theneed for immediate action was clear. The Pandemic Fund responded quickly and fast-tracked US$128.9 million to support 10 countries affected by the disease, including a US$22.4 million grant for Burundi. The grant catalyzed an additional US$4.3 million in co-investment and US$10.2 million in co-financing. The project’s Implementing Entities (IEs) are the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF, and the WHO. This rapid support aimed to enhance national and regional capacities in disease surveillance, diagnostics, and health workforce development, aligning closely with the priorities identified in the WHO-Africa CDC Joint Mpox Continental Preparedness and Response Plan.

Viruses like mpox spread easily across borders, and Burundi’s vulnerability to climate change heightens the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. Excessive heat and rainfall have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in the country, worsening living conditions and increasing disease transmission risks. The Pandemic Fund grant will help Burundi enhance its core surveillance, diagnostic, and response capabilities, strengthening long-term preparedness while addressing the immediate threat of mpox.

The Pandemic Fund brings together a diverse range of partners, fostering a multisectoral approach to strengthening public health. In Burundi, the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS is leading the project, with support from the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock, the Ministry of Finance and Budget, and the project’s IEs. Additional partners such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Global Fund, the International Livestock Research Institute, the Red Cross, Veterinarians Without Borders, and the World Bank are also contributing their expertise.
 

Project objectives

The objective of the project is to enhance Burundi’s capacity to prepare for, prevent, and respond (PPR) to health emergencies, including mpox, Marburg virus, and Ebola. This effort will support the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) and will be carried out through a One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health. 
 

Implementation arrangements and key components

Burundi’s project focuses on three components: surveillance, laboratory systems, and workforce development. Activities in each area are detailed below.

1. Strengthening surveillance across the human, animal, and environmental health sectors. Activities within this area include reinforcing surveillance capacity (particularly for mpox) at designated monitoring sites and border crossings; coordinating surveillance efforts between the human and animal health sectors; supplying necessary surveillance tools and veterinarian equipment; establishing sentinel sites to monitor Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in animals; and enabling multisectoral verification, investigation, and assessment of public health events. This component also focuses on improving the detection of pathogen agents and enhancing data collection and sharing across sectors. A critical aspect of the mpox response is the review and analysis of surveillance data to ensure timely interventions. Burundi plans to develop guidance on mpox surveillance to improve ongoing monitoring of zoonotic diseases in wildlife.
2. Enhancing laboratory capacity for rapid and accurate outbreak detection. This component of the project focuses on mapping laboratories across the human and animal health sectors, developing standard operating procedures and a Laboratory Monitoring Tool, and upgrading the quality of the laboratory supply system. These efforts aim to equip national and provincial laboratories with the required tools, tests, and other supplies (e.g., sequencing consumables). The project will also help build the capacity of the National Referral Laboratory and LABOUVET Laboratory in genomic and bioinformatics sequencing, including for mpox. There are also plans to enhance legislation on biosafety and biosecurity and to train staff on biosafety, biosecurity, and quality management. The training will be provided to human and animal health technicians responsible for transporting mpox samples.
3. Strengthening workforce expertise across human, animal, and environmental health sectors. This component focuses on training personnel, including community health workers and civil society representatives, in field and participatory epidemiology (including for mpox investigation and response), AMR, and maintenance of biomedical equipment. The project also aims to strengthen the capacity of veterinary services to prevent, prepare for, and respond to epidemic animal diseases, with an emphasis on zoonoses. Skill-building efforts specific to mpox will focus on sample collection, molecular diagnosis, and treatment of the virus in animals. 

Additional mpox-specific activities include rehabilitating 10 isolation and treatment units at district hospitals, strengthening biomedical waste management, and engaging communities to raise awareness, strengthen contact tracing, and improve case management.

As part of Burundi’s project, the FAO focuses on animal and environmental health. UNICEF leads efforts in community-level human health, as well as water and sanitation. The WHO focuses on human health at the facility and policy level. In line with the Pandemic Fund’s collaborative approach, the implementing entities work closely together, alongside community and civil society organizations. Burundi will also establish a Steering Committee and a Technical Committee to coordinate the project. 
 

Expected outcomes

Successful implementation of the project will enable Burundi to respond effectively to the ongoing mpox threat, strengthening its PPR capabilities to prepare for future health outbreaks. The country aims to:

1. Strengthen surveillance systems across the human, animal, and environmental health sectors to detect diseases with epidemic potential.
2. Enhance laboratory systems to improve the country’s diagnostic and response capacities.
3. Build the capacity of the health workforce, including both human and animal health professionals, to improve disease surveillance, prevention, and emergency response.
4. Improve multisectoral collaboration to ensure effective governance of pandemic-related funds and promote the inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable populations in Burundi’s health system.