THE Ministry of Health plans to build more health posts in seven years as part of efforts to take health services to the cell level.

In its Health Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2024 (HSSP IV) unveiled yesterday, it wants to focus on speeding the country’s transformation.

Dr Diane Gashumba, the Minister for Health, said the main focus during the implementation of the plan is having at least a health post in every village.

"We have to put health services at the cell level and improve services delivered there. We will put more emphasis on good customer care in health facilities,” she said.

At the moment, there are 2,148 cells across the country where only 831 health posts have been built, and approximately since last year, the same number have to be built, she said.

"Last year, we built 100 health posts, and by the end of this year, 293 others will be built in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and other partners, including Imbuto Foundation, Society for Family Health and others,” Gashumba said.

Apart from easy access to health services, the Government will focus on other health sub-sectors, especially looking at prevention of diseases.

"It includes empowering community health workers as they do a lot to help Rwandans with basic health services and awareness, putting more efforts in sports to fight non-communicable diseases like hepatitis, diabetes and cancer, community based health insurance and doing general checkup at least once a year,” she said.

Mark Bryan Schreiner, UNFPA Representative to Rwanda, commended the Government’s efforts and the leadership of the Ministry of Health for what had been achieved.

"As One UN, we recommend the Government and Ministry of Health’s leadership for what has been achieved so far,” he said.

According to him, the focus has also to be put on the changing aid system as Rwanda approaches its ambitions to become a middle income country.

"What we hope to see in this coming HSSP is the changing system of aid environment. As Rwanda approaches its ambition to become a middle-income country, there are less donors coming into the country. It is important to put more emphasis on sustainable a self-financing system which is critical, and we are ready to accompany Rwanda to achieve it in order to become a middle income country, "he said.

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