Best of Africa
Rwanda Becomes Latest African Country to Achieve Universal Health Care
in Best of Africa
How Africa December 19, 2018, 10:26 am 1 Comment
The East African reports that Rwanda has achieved universal health care with more than 90% of its citizens covered under the community-based health insurance scheme known as Mutuelle de Santé. Rwanda had always been a trail-blazer in health coverage in the Sub-Saharan region and the consistent improvements have been nothing short of remarkable considering the history of the country.
The World Health Organisation says the gains in the health sector have been driven by economic growth averaging 8.2% per year. The WHO country brief says, "Major health reforms took place, including the health insurance improvement, which aims to guarantee access for all to health care; and experience from Rwanda has shown that it is possible to achieve universal health coverage in a country with 90% of its population in the informal sector."
Earlier this year, President Kagame presented in Geneva where he said, "In Rwanda, a combination of community-based health insurance, community health workers, and good external partnerships led to the steepest reductions in child and maternal mortality ever recorded." The country's constitution in Articles 41 and 45 provides for the right to health and the universal care system has been adopted as a way to fulfil this mandate. Two-thirds of the costs for health coverage are borne by the beneficiaries while a third is subsidised by the government.
Kenya recently started following Rwanda's footsteps by launching a pilot programme which is expected to set the country for a national launch. Uganda has been sitting on a Bill to jumpstart its own process for eleven years. Tanzania's bill is also yet to be passed but the process is gathering steam. Tanzania has at least four health insurance schemes already but only 32% of the citizens are covered. The fire from Rwanda is clearly going to spread throughout the continent. Even the United States of America could learn a lot from Rwanda's insurance system!
Previous article Kylie Jenner Becomes 5th Richest American Celebrity
Next article Scientists Invent Robot Pill that Releases Drugs by Bluetooth from Smartphone
President Kagame Says 2020 Will Be An Ever Better Year For Rwanda
President Kagame Joins Rwandans In Monthly Clean-up Exercise
More From: Best of Africa
Lillian Ngoyi, The Mother Of The Black Resistance In South Africa
Meet Elizabeth Rukidi, An Ugandan and First African Royal to Become An International Model in the 1970s
It is high time that Africa also focuses on developing their own scientific laboratories so that Westerners can stop stealing their natural remedies that they then repackage with added chemicals and resell to Africans and the rest of the world for a fortune.
Kylie Jenner Becomes 5th Richest American Celebrity
Scientists Invent Robot Pill that Releases Drugs by Bluetooth from Smartphone