Residents of Rubavu District and its environs have been urged to attend a five-day health screening session planned for December 18 by Mount Kigali University.

The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Martin Kimemia, said they will carry out more community health outreaches in 2024.

"Regular checkups help people to know their health status, and to make changes to their lifestyle where necessary,” he said, calling upon members of the public to turn up in large numbers at the outreach.

"The screening is free, and people should take advantage of that.”

The medical camp is the latest community outreach by the University’s School of Health Sciences.

Earlier, from November 17 to December 1, the University’s School of Health Sciences assisted Kicukiro District administration to carry out a "Maternal and Child Health care promotion week campaign,” where students participated actively.

Dr. Clemence Nishimwe, the Dean of the School of Nursing, said it was an important exercise for the students.

"Our students regularly carry out outreach activities as part of experimental learning to enhance their skills,” she said.

In collaboration with local organisations, Mount Kigali University organised health screening exercises with Nyarugenge and Gasabo Districts at downtown taxi park in October, and at Kimironko market in November. The people who turned up were screened for non-communicable diseases, primarily obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.

The Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Dr. Monica Mochana said the two outreaches point to the need for the screening.

She pointed out that the School of Health Sciences’ medical camps in October and November found cases of obesity, hypertension and diabetes among the people who were screened.

"Public health has emerged as a critical concern in both developed and developing countries. It is worrying that non-communicable diseases are becoming a major challenge in many communities. Consider that public health systems in this region are grappling with malaria and HIV, and you realise that we need to deal with the non-communicable diseases before they become a major crisis.”

During the four-day outreach in October, 828 people were screened for non-communicable diseases.

The key findings of the four-day exercise show that 140 individuals (16.9 percent of those screened) were obese. This indicated a concerning prevalence of obesity within the community.

Of those screened, 88 people were diagnosed with hypertension, highlighting the need for regular blood pressure monitoring and awareness programmes.

The four-day health screening exercise in November identified 209 cases of hypertension, 32 cases of diabetes, and 162 cases of obesity among the 760 participants.

Remera Medical Health Center’s Director, Dr. Nelson Gatsingi, thanked the university for the initiative to help prevent non-communicable diseases.

He said, "Community level education and prevention is the cornerstone of public health in communities. Poor understanding of the diseases can overwhelm and frighten people. I urge the public to do regular checkups at health centres.”

"With the daily percentages provided, it is evident that hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are significant health concerns in the community. It is important to carry out regular checkups for individuals. Early detection and intervention are crucial for improving public health outcomes and fostering a healthier community,” said Kimemia.

Mount Kigali University's School of Health Sciences consistently upholds its commitment to community well-being through outreach programmes in collaboration with organisations such as the Rwanda Biomedical Center, Rwanda Diabetes Association, Gasabo and Kicukiro District, among other institutions.

The University is poised to contribute to public health on an even bigger scale as it plans to open a medical centre at its campus in Kicukiro District, to serve the public.

The facility will primarily be used in the hands-on training of the university’s health sciences students.