The mutual health insurance schemes that we support in Burundi give affiliated women access to all pregnancy-related care. But until now, more serious illnesses such as cervical or breast cancer were not covered. This is about to change. "Many women die in ignorance. They are treated by healers when they could be treated more quickly and effectively if they were diagnosed early enough. It's vital that they are made aware of the existence of these diseases and how to recognise them," insists Dr Jeanine.
To inform women, Louvain Coopération organises awareness-raising sessions in the communities, in conjunction with the mutual health organisations. They learn how to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases, but also how to recognise the first signs of infection or cancer of the cervix or breast. "We are putting maximum effort into prevention because, in principle, treatment for women screened positive for cervical cancer is not reimbursed by mutual insurance companies, unfortunately we don't have the means to do so. But if the disease is detected at an early stage, and the lesions are still precancerous, we have set aside sufficient funds for treatment. If the cancer is too advanced, the patient will have to be transferred to a hospital in Bujumbura and the costs will be borne by her. That's another reason why it's so important to invest in prevention! "
This work on sex-specific diseases in Burundi is a pilot project, "if we manage to prove its importance and positive impacts on women's health, then we hope to get more funding to reach more women!"