Yesterday, we reported that community health counsellors in Nyanza had received the mobile phones - promised by President Paul Kagame – that would help them provide better quality health care to the Rwandan people, especially those in the rural areas.

The mobile phone initiative is one of the many successful projects that the Government of Rwanda has conceived to improve the health care of the Rwandan people. This comes after the setting up of the health insurance scheme, Mutuelle de Sante, which covers more than 90 per cent of the population.

As a result, Rwandans now live healthy lives and within the last couple of years, the national life expectancy has risen from 48 to 52 years of age.

Additionally, there is no doubt that a healthy population is a productive one. Rwanda has had to reconstruct from scratch and its population is key to achieving the development goals.

Access to health care is a fundamental right and necessary for the development of nations. In Rwanda, the health care system has proved that, even with minimal contributions (2 USD/year or Rwf 1000) the difference made in the well being of the citizens is enormous.

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