Students from different universities across the country have stepped up efforts to fight high child and mortality rates, especially in the countryside.

In a seminar that was held in Muko village in Gasabo district, the students sensitized the rural population on the terrible challenges of having an oversized family, as well as how to combat HIV/AIDS through the use of contraceptives.

The students, who are grouped under the District University Students Association Forum (DUSAF) embarked on the campaign together with the Ministry of Health.

During an interview, Dr Eugene Rwabuneza, the Director of Family Planning in the MoH, called the new drive a ‘realistic endeavor’ intended to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals number 4 and 5.

The two goals aim at lowering the 2007and child mortality rates of 181 deaths per 1000 children below the age of five and mortality rates of 16 percent respectively by 2015.

"The soaring child and mother mortality rates in Rwanda mainly occur because people are uninformed about the use of contraceptives that help families avoid having unwanted children for which neither the parents nor the government can provide for,” said Rwabuneza who was also present at the seminar.

DUSAF was founded in 2007 and now has over 700 students subscribing to it.

To guarantee effectiveness, DUSAF stationed student leaders in community settlements in each of the 30 districts, the students have among others, the duty of mobilizing masses to participate in the awareness seminars.
One of the student leaders, Leornard Ndayisenga who heads the Gisagara district team, said in an interview that one of the triumphs of this project is that students have practically taught over 5,300 primary and secondary school teachers in the Southern Province about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and the significance of family planning.

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