Rwanda's Health

Since 1994, Rwanda has continued to improve their health systems day by day. Thanks to Partners in Health (PIH) and their Rwandan sister organization, Rwanda’s health systems have become a complete turnaround since the 1994 genocide. Areas where third-world countries, including Rwanda, are having trouble with in relation to health care are HIV, poverty rate, life expectancy, malaria, and health insurance to name a few. This article gives eye-opening statistics for how much Rwanda’s health systems have improved within a decade. It is quite impressive how fast the country has responded to their people in need. The main reason for Rwanda’s dramatic improvement is the support of their leader and government. Their government has made the poorest and most vulnerable people a priority. PIH and Inshuti Mu Buzima (IMB), PIH’s Rwandan sister organization, have teamed up with the Rwandan government to improve access to health care in three rural areas: Butaro, Kirehe, and Rwinkwayu. An important program that the Rwandan government has put much emphasis on is their National HIV Program. With this program they have decreased the amount of deaths caused by the HIV virus by 78 percent! It is amazing how much a couple of organizations can do for a country and the amount of support they bring for the people. PIH has also partnered with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to promote and develop a cheaper but effective way to improve health across Rwanda. So not only did PIH help support the Rwanda government, but they also created a Cancer Care Center to provide medical care and education throughout east Africa. Other third-world countries also located in Africa do not have the same luxury as Rwanda because of the lack of supporters from other nations. Millions of people do not understand how much resource and health care countries, like Rwanda, need. Here are some statistics to give a perspective of how well Rwanda has been doing since 1994. The likelihood of a child