How 4x4 reform strategy to pave way for Rwanda becoming a medical hub

Author: Lindah Uwase

• 2024-03-17 05:21:00

After the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, Rwanda was the poorest country, globally. Over 80 percent of health workers, either had been killed or had fled the country. Health facilities across the country had been destroyed.

The country would have never recovered from such a situation, but impossible does not exist when it comes to Rwanda. It was a lost cause 30 years ago, but today, it is a country on the trajectory of emerging as a continental medical services hub.

In December 2019, the World Health Organization announced that Rwanda was the beacon of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Africa.

For each Rwandan, UHC means that all people have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It includes the full range of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment and care to minimize out of pocket payment.

The Rwandans who can afford the health insurance will pay for it and those who can’t, will receive financial support from the government. Mutuelle de Santé is a national pride that empowers everybody.

Over 96 percent of Rwandans have medical insurance, and 94 percent of the country's children are fully vaccinated.

In 1994, life expectancy was about 20 years, and in 2024, it is 70.27 years. These developments indicate that Rwanda is dedicated and moving in the right direction toward being the hub of medicine on the continent.

Rwanda has earmarked over 500 hectares where sophisticated medical centers will be situated. A number of advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones, and robotics in medical administration, as well as centers of excellence for advanced research and medical production, are establishing shop in Rwanda.

Rwanda has developed well laid-out strategies in its Health Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2024 (HSSP IV) and the National Strategy for Health Professions Development (2020-2030) for the challenges related to the shortage of health workers, education and employment, retention, and compensation of the workforce.

These efforts are towards increasing the availability and provision of quality health services, which lead to the provision of competent, skilled, and equitably distributed health care workers.

In this regard, the Rwandan government adopted 'The 4x4 Reform', a national strategy that quadruples health care worker production in four years.

With 4x4 reform, Rwanda is going to be close to the WHO recommended targets on density of healthcare worker.

The country is already planning to widen the cadre of medical faculties by engaging in-service faculty that can contribute to the strengthening of the health sector in different training programmes, including medicine, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, dentistry, and allied health sciences.

The country has plans to increase medical scholarships, specialized training programmes, and retentions. Indeed, it has honed the longstanding focus of Rwanda on significant expansion in enrollments and enlargement of existing training capacities while ensuring the quality of education in meeting the country's vision to improve access to health care and to be a hub for medical services.