EASTERN PROVINCE

NYAGATARE — Three German parliamentarians, over the weekend visited Karangazi health center to comprehend Rwanda Red Cross initiatives.

Germany Red Cross which is funded by the government of Germany also funds the Rwanda Red Cross in it’s initiatives which include the fight of Malaria among others.  

Sibylle Pfeiffer, one of the German parliamentarians said that their visit aimed at reviewing these initiatives.

"Our aim was to justify the activities done out of the German tax payers’ money. However, we are so pleased with the work done by Rwanda Red Cross in terms of fighting Malaria”, Pfeiffer said.

The delegation included others, Antje Blumenthal and Mechthild Rawert. They were also accompanied by other four Germany nationals.

The parliamentarians were pleased by the Rwanda Red Cross advocacy in fighting against malaria in the district.

Rwanda is the second country visited by these parliamentarians after Tanzania.

According to Samuel Kayumba, assistant in charge of Karangazi health center, Red Cross helped them in sensitizing local community on using mosquito nets, boiling drinking water, visiting health center for malaria testing and joining the government program of Mituel de sante.

He said that since the initiative commenced in 2005, the malaria cases has reduced to about 20 per cent.

"Before the Red cross advocacy, we had over 90 per cent of malaria cases in our health center but now it is around 70 per cent”, he said.

He attributed the reduction of malaria cases in the area to the use of mosquito nets.

Kayumba said that Red Cross contributed much in sensitizing the local community, adding that Rwanda Red Cross has trained 34 volunteers who are based at the health center for the same work.

However, Kayumba revealed that the health center still faces some challenges that hinder their work.

The challenges include lack of enough laboratory equipments like microscopes.

He said the health center has only one microscope which serves about 90 patients every day. The center also has 10 nurses.

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