Nyamasheke is not your average district when it comes to weather. The Western Province district is one of the coldest in the country, with the chilly weather making the residents prone to respiratory diseases.

Jean Claude Manirafasha, a data analyst with Kibogora Hospital in the district, said respiratory ailments are amonng the highest types of dieseases handled.

Constance Mutuyimana, a nurse under the respiratory diseases department, cited pneumonia as one of the commonest respiratory ailment registered, especially  among children.

She said respiratory ailments haunt more worse around April and June every year, since the district has extreme cold weather at the time.

Mutuyimana said because of various programmes put in place by the hospital, cases have dropped.

"The number of people with respiratory cases recorded stood at 359 as of May, last year, but this reduced to 160 cases by May this year,” Joyce Uwumutima, a nurse, said.

Kibogora Hospital has 12 general doctors who are always boosted by visiting experts, especially from the US, who come and spend around three to six months every year.

She said the department has a team that visits households  and health centres regularl for awareness drives on prevention of respiratory diseases.

"We offer most of the care related to respiratory diseases, except for complicated cases such as tensolitis surgery, where patients are sent to referred to the main district hospital in Huye,” she said.

Kibogora Hospital handles respiratory patients from neighbouring Gatsibo, Rusiszi, Karongi, Nyamagabe districts, as well as those from neighbour countries DR Congo and Burundi .

Thamar Nyiransabiyaremye, the supervisor of the immunization department at the hospital, said several programmes have been put in place to fight pneumonia.

"In 2013 alone, about 8,500 people were vaccinated against pneumonia, a success rate of 101.2 per cent. Between January and Aprilr, 2,820 people benefited.

Dr Damien Nsabimana, the medical director, said over exposure to kitchen smoke is one of the causes of respiratory problems, especially the elderly.

"We provide every asthmatic elderly person with a less-smoke emitting stove free of charge to reduce exposure,” he said.