History

Village Health Organization is youth-led organization founded in 2012 that focused on promoting public health from grassroots level. There is a lack of information which lead people to consult witch doctors and others go to the hospital at late stage

Manifesto

No single person on the earth should die because he cannot afford medicines or care. We strongly believe that every human being deserves dignity and to reach it, its health must be guaranteed without regarding of its status.

Our vision

Our vision is to create a healthier society by bringing information and interventions to the needy in the context of globalization dominated by complexity of social determinants of health using evidence-based research methods.

Learn More

Our work

Public Health Promotion

According to some studies, 80 % of diseases can be prevented if people are educated. In Burundi, there are more people still consulting witch doctors, refusing to invest in health,

Medical English

Burundi is a Francophone countries. The education system is in French and the country has integrated East African community which use English as official.

Youth empowerment

60 % of the population are young. Village health Action strongly believe that investing in young people through capacity building will help to tackle the global issues which humanity face.

Research

Best buys are possible when you implement policies after evidence based research. We boost research in public health by collecting data on diary and

Advocacy

Hold people accountable and advocate for the needy is one of the tools we use to move decision makers to elaborate effective policies and to act on what they have accepted to do.

A Strong Partnership for Better Health

Discover the BITEHO Project, implemented by Village Health Action (VHA) with financial and technical support from the Sanofi Global Health Unit, to strengthen diabetes and hypertension prevention and care in Burundi.

The BITEHO Project is a two-year initiative implemented by Village Health Action (VHA) from January 2025 to December 2026, with financial and technical support from the Sanofi Global Health Unit.

BITEHO—meaning “Let us take care of them”—was developed to improve the prevention, early detection, treatment and long-term management of diabetes, hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases in Burundi. The project particularly seeks to address the barriers faced by vulnerable and underserved populations in accessing information, screening, treatment and continuous care.

The project is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health through the National Programme for Non-Communicable Diseases, public health facilities, healthcare professionals, community health workers, patients, local authorities and community-based partners.

Why the BITEHO Project is needed

Diabetes and hypertension represent a growing public health challenge in Burundi. Many people remain undiagnosed because of limited awareness, insufficient screening opportunities and inadequate access to diagnostic services. Among those already diagnosed, regular treatment and follow-up are often affected by the cost of care, limited availability of medicines and diagnostic tests, insufficient patient education and a shortage of healthcare professionals trained in managing non-communicable diseases.

The country also faces challenges related to the referral and follow-up of patients, particularly those living in rural or underserved communities. In addition, limited data on diabetes, hypertension, their risk factors and associated complications make it difficult to plan appropriate services and monitor patient outcomes.

BITEHO addresses these challenges through an integrated model connecting community awareness, health-worker capacity building, early detection, referral, treatment, patient education and long-term follow-up.

Learn more