Health & Demographic Surveillance System
Building Burundi's foundation for evidence-based health governance
A Critical Data Deficit
Burundi faces a critical deficit of reliable demographic and health data. Births, deaths, and disease causes are often unregistered. Key health indicators must be estimated rather than measured — creating blind spots that undermine planning, weaken accountability, and impede progress.
Without verified data, Burundi cannot effectively track progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets, or comply with International Health Regulations (IHR). The consequences are measurable: preventable deaths unrecorded, outbreaks detected late, resources misallocated.
A Living Census for Burundi
The HDSS is a longitudinal, community-linked surveillance system that continuously tracks population and health events in a defined geographic area. Each household and resident is registered and revisited periodically — creating a living census that provides real-time vital statistics and epidemiological trends.
A Phased, 5-Year Approach
Phase 1 — Pilot Site
Establish a pilot site covering approximately 100,000 people in a representative district. Complete household census, train field teams, deploy digital data collection tools, and begin continuous vital event tracking.
Phase 2 — National Expansion
Expand to a network of sites representing Burundi's ecological and socio-economic diversity — urban, peri-urban, and rural zones — creating a nationally representative HDSS platform.
What the HDSS Measures
Vital Statistics
Verified figures on births, deaths, fertility rates, and migration patterns — replacing estimates with measured data.
Cause of Death
Reliable cause-of-death information using WHO verbal autopsy standards — closing a critical information gap.
Disease Burden
Community indicators on maternal, child, infectious, and non-communicable disease prevalence and incidence.
Epidemic Intelligence
Early detection of epidemic events through continuous surveillance — enabling faster outbreak response.
SDG & UHC Tracking
Continuous evidence to monitor progress toward Universal Health Coverage, SDG 3, and IHR compliance.
A Partnership-Driven Initiative
The HDSS operates within a structured institutional framework with clear roles, shared governance, and international technical standards.
University of Burundi
MoU signed — institutional academic partner for research coordination, capacity building, and joint publication.
Ministry of Public Health & AIDS Control
Primary government counterpart overseeing public health policy alignment and HDSS data integration into national health systems.
Ministry of Interior
Legal supervisory authority — registered DPHI under Ministerial Order n°530/1337 on October 10, 2023.
World Health Organization
Advisory partner on surveillance standards, verbal autopsy methodology, and global HDSS network integration.
United Nations Development Programme
Advisory support for SDG alignment, sustainable development frameworks, and capacity strengthening.
UNICEF
Advisory partner for child health surveillance, maternal health indicators, and community health worker programs.
Support the HDSS
The HDSS requires international partnerships, technical expertise, and sustained funding. Join us in building the data infrastructure Burundi needs to achieve health equity and sustainable development.