Rwanda News

The Ministry of Health requests the general public and especially travelers to take special preventive measures following the Novel Coronavirus outbreak confirmed by World Health Organization(WHO) which was reported in China, Thailand, Japan, the Republic of South Korea, USA, France and Australia as of 26th January 2020. The total number of Coronavirus confirmed cases have reached about 1300 to date including 41 deaths. All reported deaths have been in Wuhan, China.

Rwanda is one of the smallest countries in the African mainland. It is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. No miracle was expected from that African country following the genocide against the Tutsi of 1994. Fundamental to recovery – building trust and fostering peace and stability – Rwanda has been continuously investing in services, like health, infrastructures and education. After the tragic 1994 events the new leadership put at the center of a raising nation, public health, education, and health for all.

On 8th of December 2019, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo launched jointly a vaccination campaign for Ebola prevention named Johnson and Johnson Vaccine(J&J). This important event was a big progress in Ebola Disease fighting in a joint cross-border manner between DRC and Rwanda, the first ever cross border vaccination of Ebola Disease Virus. The event took place in Rubavu District, at “La Grande Barriere” border.

From 2- 7 December 2029, Kigali is hosting the 20th International Conference on AIDs and STIs in Africa. The theme for this year is “AIDS free Africa. Innovation, Community and Political Leadership”.

The Ambassador of Japan to Rwanda, His Excellency Mr. Takayuki Miyashita, joined Rwanda to emphasize community engagement in preventing Ebola. Mr.Tukayuki along with Dr. Mwinga Kasonde, World Health Organisation Rwanda Office Representative  and State Minister for Primary Health Care and Public Health Dr. Patrick Ndimubanzi conducted an Ebola Virus Disease community mobilization exercise on the September 20, 2019 in Gahanga Sector, Kicukiro District, Kigali City.

Rwanda organized its biannual Integrated Mother and Child Health Week from 14th to 18th October 2019. The Mother and Child week is organized twice a year and serves as an opportunity to scale up health services provision, particularly to the hard-to-reach, the unreached and the most vulnerable populations.

Since 1 August 2018, when the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo notified the World Health Organization of a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in North Kivu Province, in the eastern part of the country, the Ebola virus, as of 30 September 2019 claimed the lives of 2133 people in the DRC. Rwanda is a country bordering the DRC with some Districts being near to the Ebola affected areas. The Government of Rwanda initiated preparedness mechanisms to minimize the risk of importation and cross border transmission of EVD as well as to ensure an effective response.

Kigali, 27th August 2019: The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Rwanda, is organizing in Kigali, a three days’ workshop, from 27th to 29th August 2019, on WHO Africa Gates Tobacco Control Project Review in the African Region. The participants are focal points for Tobacco control in the Ministries of Health and WHO Country Offices from countries supported by the Gates Tobacco Control Project whose current phase of Project is Phase 3 which commenced on 6th April 2017 and will end in 2020.

Rubavu, 6 Aout 2019,
1. A l’invitation de son homologue Rwandaise Dr. Diane Gashumba, le Ministre Congolais de la Santé a.i. Mr Pierre Kangudia ainsi que sa délégation, a effectué une visite officielle à Rubavu, en République du Rwanda, ce 6 août 2019.

Kigali, August 1 2019 --- The Ministry of Health confirms that Rwanda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo is open, following traffic slow-down this morning as measures were put in place to reinforce screening procedures and public safety at entry points.