In recent years, Rwanda has made progress in ensuring that its citizens have access to affordable, high-quality, and efficient healthcare delivery to move towards achieving universal health coverage.

The New Times examines key activities and issues that influenced the health sector this year:

1. Kigali Health City

The country is working on a master plan to transform the Masaka area in Kicukiro District into Kigali Health City, to advance the development of hosting multiple international and local projects to boost the country as a medical tourism hub in the region and on the continent.

The project involves various partners such as the Rwanda Development Board and the City of Kigali, among others, to transform Kigali into an economic, innovation centre, and health hub. Some of the institutes under construction or in plans to be built in the area include:

· Surgical research, training centre – IRCAD Africa

On October 10, IRCAD Africa was launched in Masaka, providing a training ground for Rwandan and African surgeons to specialise in advanced minimally invasive surgery techniques.

The facility plans to train 500-1,000 surgeons annually in modern medical technology that lessens pain and trauma in patients, allowing for shorter periods spent in the hospital, a lower risk of bleeding and infection, and a speedy recovery.

IRCAD Africa, which employs artificial intelligence in research and training, will provide skills and knowledge to the next generation of surgeons across various specialities, including general surgery, urology, gynaecology, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery, neurosurgery, anaesthesiology, and orthopaedics.

ALSO READ: Masaka: Kigali's emerging 'medical city'

· My Heart Care Centre

The $20 million (approx. Rwf24 billion) facility, which began construction on December 29, is being built in three phases and is set to be completed by 2024. It will feature a research wing, clinics, operating theatres, radiology rooms, laboratories, pharmacies, housing, and an administration block, with a capacity for 1,000 individuals.

· RBC and Rwanda FDA laboratories

Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) and Rwanda Food and Drug Authority (FDA) plan to construct their laboratories in Masaka, next to CHUK.

As Rwanda looks forward to the inauguration of the BioNTech vaccine manufacturing plant, the country plans to set up a fully-fledged FDA laboratory which will be part of an ecosystem of factory production, regulatory systems, and government will to create an environment for medical, and pharmaceutical research and clinical trials.

In addition, Rwanda FDA is preparing to reach Maturity Level 3 recognition by the World Health Organization which will strengthen it to build a regulatory environment that will capacitate quality assurance of pharmaceutical products and the local production of vaccines.

· Headquarters of the University of Global Health Equity

Masaka will also host the headquarters of the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), a medical university owned by Partners In Health (PIH), an international non-profit organisation.

UGHE offers two flagship programmes, the Masters in Global Health Delivery (MGHD) which has already graduated seven cohorts, and its physician training programme which is a dual degree programme offered with the MGHD and is now in its fourth year.

The university was recognised as the second-highest-ranking university in terms of impact on the African continent in the inaugural Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) University Rankings and also scooped the ASPIRE-to-Excellence Award in health professions education from the Association of Medical Education of Europe (AMEE).

· Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases and Isolation

Kigali Health City will also see the construction of a Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases and Isolation.

Though details around the centre are not yet revealed, it is understood that it will play a major role in this ecosystem, addressing some of the most challenging infectious diseases on the continent.

Kigali Health City is strategically located in an area that creates an ecosystem for both service seekers and players in the health sector, as it is near the Intare Conference Arena for hosting health-related events and in the valleys of Umusambi Village as a recreation centre.

There are more international projects with the potential to be established in the area.

2. Launch of programme for children with ear and hearing disabilities

The Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, on December 6, launched a project meant to promote primary health care for children and adolescents with ear and hearing disabilities.

ALSO READ: RBC, UNICEF launch programme for children with ear, hearing disabilities

The three-year inclusive programme called "Winsiga Ndumva” (loosely translated as "Don’t leave me behind, I can hear”), which was launched in Huye District, seeks to provide screening services for 9,400 new-borns and children aged up to 18 in eight Rwandan districts. Up to 1,200 with hearing impairment will be provided with digital hearing aids. One hearing device is valued at around Rwf1 million.

3. Babyl Rwanda ceases operations

Babylon Health, operating as Babyl in Rwanda, ceased its operations in the country. This followed the permanent closure of Babylon Health’s U.S. operations in August, resulting in the laying off of 94 employees.

ALSO READ: Babyl Rwanda reportedly ceases operations

In 2022, Babylon reported an operating loss of $369.8 million despite generating $1.1 billion in revenue. As of the first quarter of 2023, the company had $77.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, with $52.1 million reserved for an impending sale.

According to a former Babyl Rwanda employee who requested anonymity, the company ceased operations around September 7, and its employees have been out of work ever since.

4. New tree planting initiative to promote ‘green hospitals’

The Ministries of Health and Environment launched a tree-planting initiative that aims to transform hospital environments into "vibrant, green spaces” that champion both environmental protection and enhanced health outcomes.

ALSO READ: New tree planting initiative to promote ‘green hospitals’

Launched on November 25 in Bugesera District, the Green Hospital Initiative targets up to two million trees planted in and around all hospitals and more than 1,500 other health facilities across the country.

5. Kigali hosted the first regional inter-parliamentary forum on digital health

The first East African Community (EAC) Annual Inter-parliamentary Forum on Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) or Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) started on Saturday, November 18, in Kigali.

ALSO READ: Kigali hosts first regional inter-parliamentary forum on digital health, data governance

The two-day meeting sought to deliberate on EAC Regional and Continental Health Data Governance initiatives and Digital Health agenda, and how to leverage digital data for universal healthcare.

It was convened by the EAC Secretariat in conjunction with the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

6. Launch of BioNTech Africa

BioNTech Africa, a cutting-edge manufacturing facility for mRNA-based vaccines was inaugurated on Monday, December 18.

Since 2021, the government of Rwanda has been working with BioNTech, a renowned German biotechnology company, on the construction of a manufacturing plant for mRNA-based vaccines.

ALSO READ: Senegal President in Rwanda for BioNTech plant launch

MRNA vaccines work by providing body cells with instructions to produce a harmless part of the virus, teaching the immune system to recognise and defend against it. These vaccines do not contain live viruses and cannot cause the disease, offering a safe and effective way to build immunity.

7. "TunyweLess” campaign

Following a survey that showed an increase in alcohol consumption in the country, the Government of Rwanda launched a new chapter in its campaign to tackle alcohol consumption among people, especially the youth, in July.

The campaign called "TunyweLess” aimed to reach out to people through various means, including social and traditional media, and urge them to either stop drinking or drink less.

ALSO READ: New campaign seeks to curb rise in alcohol consumption