Last Friday 24th March 2017 - Rwanda joined the World to celebrate World Tuberculosis day focusing on the young population in Kigali City. The Ministry of Health through Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) with partners support, including WHO, has employed stringent ways that have caused a significant decline in Tuberculosis incidences in Rwanda.

The fight against TB in Rwanda has been a success over the past years. The trend of TB cases declined since June 2011 from 7230 to 5763 TB cases in June 2016 due particularly to efforts done to increase detection. Every year, Community health workers contributed to 46% and 25% of TB presumptive referred to Health facilities and proportion of TB cases identified respectively.  And 95% of TB cases followed by Community health workers were successfully treated.

The Guest of Honor of the ceremony was the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Dr Jeanine Condo, in presence of the Vice mayor of Nyarugenge District, different partners, among them the WHO Representative, BTC Representative and local authorities.

Rwanda Biomedical Centre’s  Director General, Dr. Jeanine Condo, in her speech, highlighted that “TB is a curable disease and early screening helps initiate early treatment,”. 

In his message, WHO Representative, Dr Olushayo Olu, recalled that the World Health Organization, the UN family and other partners recognize and appreciate the leadership of the government of Rwanda in controlling tuberculosis disease and assured their full commitment to continue supporting the country in its efforts to end TB.

In Rwanda, the screening of TB was reinforced among high risk groups especially contacts of TB cases, people infected with HIV and prisoners.  Reliable Multi Drug Resistance –TB (MDR-TB) diagnosis capacity is available in 3 reference laboratories in Rwanda (National Reference Laboratory, Kigali and Butare University Teaching Hospitals).  Meanwhile, Genexpert machines were purchased and installed in all District Hospitals to improve the detection of TB and early identification of MDR-TB cases. Currently 94% of all co-infected TB/HIV received Anti Retro viral Treatment before the end of TB treatment.

Different activities of the celebration of the World TB Day involved working closely with the National Youth Council to mobilize youth in Nyarugenge, Gasabo and Kicukiro Districts of Kigali City to generate an effective movement in fight against TB. A walk was organized in Nyarugenge District where the ceremony took place, and various other activities were performed by the youth such as testimonies, songs, acrobatics, football tournament, and a highly-motivated youth ambassador participated in further sensitization of youth in the City of Kigali.

Under the theme, "Unite to End TB", the Ministry of Health aimed at increasing public awareness on TB diagnosis, treatment and prevention among Rwandan community, access to adequate TB care, including diagnosis, treatment and cure.

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For more information, please contact :

Miss Lilian Gahima, Rwanda Health Communication Center, e-mail: gahimalilliane [at] gmail.com (gahimalilliane[at]gmail[dot]com)  

Mr. Jean Bosco GASHEREBUKA, HPR, e-mail: gasherebukab [at] who.int (gasherebukab[at]who[dot]int)