Burundi loses 700 people in 3months as malaria 'epidemic' hits the country

At least 700 people have died from malaria in Burundi so far this year, with 1.8 million infections registered in the rising epidemic, the health minister said.

Burundi faces a malaria epidemic,' Josiane Nijimbere said Monday, commenting on a World Health Organization (WHO) report.

From January 1 to March 10 this year, 1.8 million infections were registered in Burundi, according to the WHO.

According to Nijimbere, the latest figures constitute a 17 percent increase from the same period last year.

'Some 700 deaths' have been registered since January, the minister added.

In 2016, an estimated 8.2 million people were infected and 3,000 people died in mountainous Burundi, which is home to around 11 million people.

UN officials and medical sources say Burundi's stock of anti-malaria medication is nearly empty.

Nijimbere put the cost of fighting malaria at $31 million (29 million euros), as she appealed for donations to help fight the disease.