AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has donated about Rwf133,866,000 to Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) to help vulnerable households afford the cost of subscribing to Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) - Mutuelle de santé scheme.

RSSB is a public institution in charge of managing Social Security programs in Rwanda including the Community Based Health Insurance (CBHI) program.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the global AIDS organization currently providing medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe.

 "The contribution to Community-Based Health Insurance scheme aligns closely with our mission of providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy regardless of the ability to pay, and will enable thousands of Rwandans, including our clients, to exercise their right to health, thereby promoting equity in health coverage,” said Dr Lambert Rangira, Country Program Manager, AHF Rwanda.

Lambert Rangira country program manager at AHF Rwanda speaks t the event he said that this support, will benefit 10,822 households with 44,622 beneficiaries who will be able to access healthcare services under the first phase.

Our responsibility is to champion better and more cost-effective ways of delivering patient-centred care, which results in healthier, more productive, and more fulfilling lives for our clients, he added.

The support, he said, will benefit 10,822 households with 44,622 beneficiaries who will be able to access healthcare services under the first phase.

He disclosed that the second phase worth Rwf22.2 million will benefit 1,302 households.

 The total support is equivalent to over Rwf156.1 million to benefit 13,156 households.

"When vulnerable people have community-based health insurance to access health services, they become healthy and get the ability to work so as to improve their lives and graduate out of poverty to become self-reliant later,” he said.

The CBHI scheme, which the government of Rwanda initiated in 2005, increases access to healthcare services and fosters a culture of prevention by alleviating the financial burden of medical costs for many, especially among the poor and vulnerable households.

The handover ceremony took place at RSSB headquarters in Kigali on May 25

Receiving the donation, RSSB Director General, Regis Rugemanshuro reiterated that the donation by AIDS Healthcare Foundation Rwanda will boost national access to healthcare services by Rwandans.

He said the support is a timely boost at the time mobilization for subscription to CBHI premiums has already started for 2022/2023 financial year.

"We call upon all Rwandans to start subscribing to Mutuelle de santé scheme earlier so as to get ready for accessing health services in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. Mobilisation campaign started in February and it continues. The AHF support is timely to boost subscription,” he said.

He said the current statistics for the year 2021/2022 show that the national coverage for the Community-Based Health Insurance stands at 86.6 percent with an increase of one percent compared to the previous fiscal year while coverage for the next financial year 2022/2023 stands at 40.8 percent.

"Government of Rwanda through Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) has devised several mechanisms to ensure that all Rwandans access good medical services. Collaborations with Institutions like AHF will therefore go a long way in achieving 100 percent access to CBHI in the near future,” he said.

He added that there is a strong political will to ensure that all Rwandans have equitable access to health services of high quality, affordable and without financial hardship.

AHF contribution to Rwanda health sector commended

Rugemanshuro said AHF support is a great contribution to Rwanda’s health sector.

Since 2006, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Rwanda Biomedical Centre, AHF Rwanda has provided significant support towards strengthening healthcare services and their delivery in the country, particularly in the HIV/AIDS response.

This includes the provision of HIV testing, care and treatment, condom distribution and human resources for health across 29 health facilities in 10 districts: Nyarugenge, Gasabo, Kicukiro, Rwamagana, Kayonza, Nyanza, Huye, Musanze, Nyabihu, and Rubavu; supporting more than 33,000 People Living with HIV

On the advocacy side, the organisation has championed various initiatives to promote access to healthcare, such as the Vaccinate Our World (VOW) Campaign to address COVID-19 vaccine inequities, the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, and the AHF Grant Fund to strengthen the capacity of CBOs to tackle HIV in communities.

 Furthermore, its Girls Act Program fosters leadership, confidence and education among young women and girls as essential for preventing HIV, STIs and unplanned Pregnancies.

"AHF Rwanda is able to achieve all of this by working closely with Civil Society Organisations and the NGO Forum. 

Over the years, we have kept our promise to the government and people of Rwanda as a critical partner in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and we are committed to this collaboration towards Global AIDS Control,” added Rangira.