UNICEF team reaffirms partnership with Rwanda

A visiting delegation from the United States Fund for UNICEF yesterday reiterated their continued support to the Rwanda’s health development after noting extraordinary progress. The team of 10 led by the Chief of Staff, Lynn Stratford, acknowledged Rwanda’s unique path to an e-Health system adding that it is impressive that patients can use the short message service to access quick ambulance services. “We raise funds for UNICEF across the world and having seen the extraordinary progress, especially in women and children’s health. We are pleased to partner with Rwanda because our work here is a proud investment. “We therefore reaffirm our partnership to promote health progress,” Stratford said. During the discussions with the Health Minister, Dr. Richard Sezibera, the delegates also requested to know the other potential areas where investment is still lacking. In response, the minister emphasized the need to focus on children’s needs as one of the major priorities adding that it is very imperative to support the simplest measures that save life such as the community based approach. “Our government intends to have a healthy, educated human resource that will drive the country to economic prosperity and this definitely begins with our children,” he noted. As regards other major interventions that aim at health promotion, Sezibera also identified infrastructural development as a strategy of increasing access to health services to people in the areas with rough terrain. “Rwanda also has a performance based financing system as a way of improving the quality of services delivered at our health facilities. This is sort of a motivation for our staff to perform better so we give them more money for extra quality services received by the population. “Our private sector as regards health is not as developed as we want it to be, yet this investment is also critical. Broadly, a number of companies have come in to partner with us, but the private sector should grow as well,” he added. Jackie Shapiro, the United Nations Chairman for Zonta international which supports women worldwide, also commended the sector’s progress in HIV prevention from mother to child. “This country is creating a model in the area of health and this should be used as an example to other sectors and the world over.” The UNICEF fund provides about 55 percent of the finances needed to develop various health projects and provide some services in the Ministry of Health. Ends

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UNICEF team reaffirms partnership with Rwanda