There has been recent progress towards addressing mental health challenges, and more is being done.

Different partners are scaling up efforts to promote mental health and awareness.

For instance, the recent partnership between Kigali Psycho-Medical Center and Rwanda Social Security Board is another bold move towards this goal.

Both parties partnered with a purpose of easing access to mental health services, where RSSB beneficiaries will be able to access healthcare services in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, provided by the private facility.

Experts on mental health have expressed optimistic views for such developments.

Dr. Jean Damascene Iyamuremye, the head of psychiatric care and treatment at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) expressed how this shows that mental health is a topic that is finally being understood by everyone.

"The government of Rwanda is seeking to ease and offer access to mental health to all Rwandans that need them. This is a great thing that private institutions are also stepping up in doing all they can to advance that. It shows that the need to help people with mental health issues is not neglected,” he said.

He also added that all private mental facilities in Rwanda have signed that kind of contract ahead of making their services affordable, and if all private centers did so with every insurance firm, it could be a great step to making the services more accessible.

The latest data on people with mental health issues in Rwanda shows that only 30 percent of the people who met the criteria for having mental disorders attempted to look for mental health support, shows a study conducted by RBC.

Dr. Yvonne Kayiteshonga, Mental Health Division Manager at RBC, commended this step noting that it is a great thing for Rwandans, especially those with mental health issues.

"Mental health is part of our health. Easing access is going to encourage more people to seek these services without facing any hardships,” she said.

RSSB is part of the medical insurance that covers mental health services among other services in different health facilities. As per their category, the contributions paid to RSSB represent 15 percent of an employee’s basic salary, and the medical insurance covers 85 per cent of the bill for medical treatment and prescribed drugs.

 In a recent article by The New Times, Innocent Nsengiyumva, a psychologist at Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital said that a huge number of Rwandans are not aware of mental health issues until it is too late, due to lack of information among other reasons.

He recommended raising more awareness around mental health as well as facilitating new private hospitals, for those who qualify, to ensure the services are brought closer to as many people as possible.

A recent mental health survey by the Ministry of Health estimated that 20.49 percent of the general population met the diagnostic criteria for one or more mental disorders.