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The Contribution of Medicine to the Restoration of Human Dignity by Service Yezu Mwiza (SYM), Burundi

On the peaceful hills of Bujumbura, a discreet yet powerful and transformative voice works each day to restore the dignity of human life, especially for the most vulnerable. The Association of Jesuit Fathers of Burundi/Service Yezu Mwiza (APJB/SYM) is a non-profit organization and a socio-medical center operating under the authority of the Association of Jesuit Fathers of Burundi (APJB asbl). The association was established on November 5, 1963, and was officially recognized by ministerial decree No. 100/564 on April 8, 1964.

The mission of APJB/SYM is to promote the integral health of the population through comprehensive care for HIV/AIDS, TB/HIV co-infection, the fight against malaria, the promotion of reproductive health aimed at responsible motherhood and fatherhood, and the care of chronic illnesses among the most disadvantaged.

Today, its activities continue to evolve, supporting the human person in all their complexity—body, mind, and future—with a vision of a flourishing people enjoying physical, mental, and psychological well-being across all levels of Burundian society.

Since 2008, APJB/SYM has embodied a deep commitment to the most vulnerable. Founded to respond to the urgency of HIV/AIDS, APJB/SYM has gradually expanded its services to include medical care (Martin Royackers Clinic, VCT, PMTCT, pediatric care, Mobile Clinic, TB Diagnosis and Treatment Center), psychosocial support (mediation), socio-economic development (Income Generating Activities, solidarity groups, OVCs), education (social-professional reintegration, school supplies for OVCs), and community strengthening (SRH for adults and youth, disease prevention, peer educators, community networking)—all aimed at offering holistic support: physical health, psychosocial support, education, and economic empowerment.

To prevent the spread of drugs among the Burundian population, particularly the youth, APJB/SYM, in collaboration with national and international partners, has established a methadone center for People Who Inject Drugs (PWID).

As our slogan says, “We are a people who want to live.” In this spirit, we have also established a screening center for precancerous cervical lesions, introducing a new method to detect the responsible viruses (genotypes 16, 18, and 45 of the human papillomavirus), which are the primary causes of these cancers.

Here, it is not just diseases that are treated; lives are healed, rights are upheld, and dignity is restored.

By, Communications Officer,

Service Yezu Mwiza, Burundi.

Ismael Matambura

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