Burundi’s YouTube Child Star Dies Aged 6

Six-year-old Darcy Irakoze, also known as “Kacaman”, has died from malaria after testing positive for the disease last week.

He was well known for his comic YouTube routines, which had made him a star.

His death comes following concerns raised by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the high number of deaths from malaria in the country in recent times, claiming that malaria has reached epidemic proportions. 

Since the beginning of 2019 over 5.7 people in Burundi have been infected with malaria out of a population of 11 million. More than 1,800 deaths have been recorded. However, the Government of Burundi disputes the figures, claiming there have been 4.3 million cases and 1,400 deaths.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has raised concern regarding the lack of preventative measures in the country, such as mosquito measures. In a recent bulletin on the situation it stated, “The national malaria outbreak response plan, which is currently being validated, has highlighted a lack of human, logistical and financial resources for effective response.”