With a view of providing sustainable high quality health services to all Rwandans, Management Sciences for Health (MSH) – an arm of the Ministry of Health, yesterday launched the Integrated Health Systems Strengthening Project (IHSSP).

The five–year project worth Rwf20 billion (US$35 million) is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

During the official launch, the MSH Chief of Party, Kathy Kantengwa, noted that the new project aims at providing the necessary technical assistance, building institutional capacity and human resources for health.

"By the end of project, we believe that health officials will have increased by over 200 officials who will help offer high quality services at decentralized levels of the country.

"The IHSSP will also link quality improvement to the element of performance-based financing. Improved utilization of data for decision making and policy formulation will also be a key result area,” Kantegwa said.

USAID Mission Director, Dennis Weller, commended Rwanda’s health system citing the recent pneumococcal launch and 95 percent health insurance coverage as major steps that show government’s dedication towards health promotion.

"Sustainability of such a project requires good leadership which you already have, so hopefully, the Rwandan people will finance this venture after five years of the project life,” Weller noted.

Officials also noted that emphasis will also be put in building capacities of community-based health workers and ensuring that all health needs can be handled at district level.

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