KIGALI - World researchers from McLaughlin-Rotman Centre (MRC) Global Health in Canada, have ranked Rwanda as the best country in sub-Saharan region to support health science and technology.

The researchers also published a landmark series of papers that provide a unique perspective on the experience of countries and companies in sub-Saharan Africa addressing health problems through locally innovated solutions.

The research, was conducted in Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Dr Ken Simiyu, who was part of the team that conducted the research, Rwanda was the only one that showed political support in developing science and technology in the sub-Saharan region.

"We discovered that in all countries, Rwanda showed political will in supporting science and technology by providing one percent 1% of GDP to support technology,” Simiyu told The New Times by phone from Toronto.

During their study, Simiyu said, the researchers visited different projects in Rwanda and were mainly impressed by the progressive information technology system in health information delivery as well as technologies in developing traditional herbs for medicine.

The director of MRC, Peter Singer, urged African countries to make use of their scientists and entrepreneurs to solve the prevailing health problems on the continent.

"If Africans are to prevail over diseases that kill and maim millions each year; they must unleash the formidable talents of their own scientists and entrepreneurs. In the long run, the sustainable solutions to Africa’s health problems rest with the home team,” he said.

Simiyu further urged that Africa shouldn’t mine natural resources and sideline nurturing progressive ideas of its citizens, adding that most countries developed not because of the natural resources, but embracing ideas of their people.

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