Malaria is one of the main diseases killing African soldiers deployed as peacekeepers across the African continent, Burundi's permanent secretary in the defence ministry, Emmanuel Miburo said.

Miburo, who was speaking in Bujumbura during the opening of the third joint session between East and West Africa on malaria among defence forces, urged health authorities within the armies in these African regions to put emphasis on training medical staff and surveillance against malaria.

"Malaria is an enemy that we must jointly fight with all our energy. This is why we want to thank West African countries for joining us to fight this scourge in our armies,” Miburo added.

The three-day forum that runs between August 25 and 27 brought together participants from 13 countries that include Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Djibouti, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo and Ghana.

Rwanda is the sixth largest troop contributing country in international peacekeeping missions with more than 5,000 peacekeepers in various countries across the world, including in Central African Republic and South Sudan.