Rwanda News

From 23rd to 24th May, the Government of Rwanda, Ministry of Disasters Management and Refugees and Ministry of Health, UN Agencies in Rwanda, namely UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO and other Partners have organized an integrated immunization campaign for children under 15 years in the Burundi Refugees Camp of Mahama, District Kirehe, Eastern Province.

Christophe Harerimana, a school teacher for more than 20 years in Rwanda, became worried in recent years. Many of his students were coming to class ill and were having trouble concentrating.

“The children were having abdominal pain, diarrhoea and nausea. This made it difficult for them to follow the lessons,” says Harerimana, who teaches science and Kinyarwanda, the local language of his village, in the Musanze District.

According to different surveys conducted in Rwanda, the rate of Fully Immunized Children (FIC) has reached and maintained to more than 90% for several years. Due to high routine immunization coverage and periodic supplementary immunization activities (SIAs), the country is on track to meet global target of Vaccine preventable diseases control, elimination and eradication. In fact, the last case of wild polio virus was reported in 1993, neonatal tetanus has been eliminated in 2004 and Rwanda is in process to implement measles elimination mode of surveillance countrywide.

Analysis of health data from countries in Africa reflects differences in country specific interpretation of indicators, resulting in difficulties in comparison of data and measuring regional progress. At a national level, countries have highlighted the need for improved data on malaria interventions and related trends to inform their actions.

Kigali, 20 October 2015 - The WHO Country Office in Rwanda, through its continuous support to the Ministry of Health, has donated 6 355 000 albendazole tablets to support the upcoming deworming campaign against soil transmitted helminthiasis.

11 January 2016 - Massive influx of Burundians into south western Rwanda started around March 31st 2015 as a result of the on-going political crisis in that country. These refugees are accommodated in Mahama Camp in Kirehe District of Rwanda.

A salmonella Typhi outbreak was confirmed in the camp which has a refugee population of 44,965 in November 2015. UNHCR, Ministry of Health and other partners including WHO, UNICEF, ARC and SCF responded swiftly to curtail the spread of the disease among the population and surrounding communities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Rwanda committed to embracing change for even more effective delivery of results at the just ended staff retreat which was held in Rubavu, Rwanda from 3 to 6 February 2016.

11 February 2016 - Since late April 2015, nearly 234,606 Burundians fled to neighbouring countries as a result of the on-going political crisis in the country. As of 20th January 2016 Rwanda registered 71,881 refugees and a total 45,460 are hosted in Mahama camp in Kirehe District, Eastern Province.

The Ministry of Health of Rwanda organized from 29th to 31st March 2016, in Bugesera District,  a three day International Conference on health financing in collaboration with its partners including WHO.  The theme of the Conference was “Health financing reforms in the eve of sustainable development goals: a look at the past 15 years of health reform”.

Kigali, 18 April 2016 – On 04 April 2016, the Government of Rwanda with support from WHO and immunization partners made history as the first country in the African Region to introduce bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) in place of the trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (tOPV) into the schedule of the routine immunization programme for all children under the age of one.