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