Dr. Cécile Ndayishimiye

Dr. Cécile Ndayishimiye is a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Gitega, Burundi's main university hospital located in the country's political capital. With 9 years of clinical experience in one of sub-Saharan Africa's most resource-constrained healthcare environments, she has developed exceptional skills in emergency obstetrics and high-risk pregnancy management. Burundi has one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates, and Dr. Ndayishimiye's work is directly focused on reducing preventable maternal and neonatal deaths through skilled obstetric care. She manages deliveries, performs caesarean sections, and handles obstetric emergencies including postpartum haemorrhage and eclampsia. She also provides gynaecological care including family planning, cervical cancer screening, and management of gynaecological infections. Her compassionate approach and commitment to serving underserved women make her a vital figure in Burundian maternal health.

Dr. Ndayishimiye graduated with a Doctorat en Médecine from the Université du Burundi in Bujumbura. She then pursued specialist training in Gynaecology-Obstétrique at the Université Catholique de Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the region's stronger postgraduate training institutions for obstetrics in a high-volume, resource-limited setting. Her training encompassed normal and operative obstetrics, gynaecological surgery, family planning, and management of obstetric complications. She has participated in workshops organised by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and WHO on safe motherhood and EmONC (Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care). She attends the Association Burundaise des Gynécologues-Obstétriciens annual meetings for professional development.

Dr. Ndayishimiye's expertise centres on emergency and elective obstetric care including management of normal labour, operative vaginal delivery, caesarean section, and treatment of life-threatening complications such as postpartum haemorrhage, eclampsia, and sepsis. She is skilled in manual vacuum aspiration for incomplete abortion management, a critical procedure in the Burundian context. Her gynaecological work includes cervical cancer screening using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), family planning counselling and intrauterine device insertion, and management of pelvic inflammatory disease. She also has experience with obstetric fistula assessment and referral, collaborating with regional fistula repair programmes to ensure patients receive corrective surgery.

Dr. Ndayishimiye consults in French, Kirundi, and Swahili. International NGO workers, humanitarian staff, and expatriates based in Burundi can access her services at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Gitega. For women from the Burundian diaspora or international visitors requiring antenatal care or gynaecological services during a stay in the country, appointments can be arranged through the hospital's outpatient department. She communicates in French for Francophone patients and can correspond in French with referring clinicians abroad. Emergency obstetric services are available through the hospital's 24-hour maternity unit.

Dr. Ndayishimiye is registered with the Ordre des Médecins du Burundi and is a member of the Association Burundaise des Gynécologues-Obstétriciens. She has received recognition from the Burundian Ministry of Public Health for her contribution to improving maternal health outcomes in Gitega province. She participates in FIGO-affiliated regional networks on obstetric fistula and safe motherhood and has contributed to training workshops for nurses and midwives on emergency obstetric care. She serves as a clinical supervisor for medical students from the Université du Burundi on obstetrics and gynaecology rotations.