Bill Gates gets warm welcome at Mwulire Health Center
MWULIRE, Rwanda — Bill Gates, philanthropist and co-chair of the Gates Foundation, visited Mwulire Sector in Rwanda’s Eastern Province on Monday. He was accompanied by Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana.
The visit focused on Rwanda’s progress in healthcare, artificial intelligence and digital public infrastructure.
Gates met Community Health Workers in Mwulire. He also visited Mwulire Health Center and toured TKMD Syringes Manufacturing.
Bill Gates (R) accompanied by Health Minister Dr Sabin Nsanzimana were hosted Monday at Mwulire Health Center
Rwanda has 58,298 Community Health Workers. They work in teams of four in every village. Each team covers about 60 households.
These workers provide basic healthcare services directly to communities. They help prevent diseases from worsening. They also reduce pressure on health centers.
In Mwulire, Community Health Workers carried out up to 65 percent of malaria screenings in the last six months. They also provided up to 82 percent of malaria treatments during the same period.
Gates and Dr. Nsanzimana listened to the workers’ experiences. They discussed the challenges of delivering care in remote communities.
The Ministry of Health is introducing a community Electronic Medical Records system, known as cEMR. The system will digitize record-keeping. Officials say it will reduce paperwork and provide real-time health data.
The delegation also visited the newly built Mwulire Health Center. The facility now serves more than 37,000 residents.
Before the center was constructed, many residents had to walk up to 16 kilometers to access maternal healthcare and basic consultations.
Government says the ealth center shows how partnerships can improve healthcare access. The project was built through cooperation between the Government of Rwanda and its partners.
At TKMD Syringes Manufacturing, Gates observed the production of auto-disable syringes. The Rwanda-based company is supported by the Gates Foundation.
TKMD supplies syringes to the region. It also exports to several countries through UNICEF.
In social media post earlier, Gates praised Rwanda’s healthcare system during the visit. He said Rwanda had achieved one of Africa’s most remarkable health transformations over the last 25 years.
“The country shows what is possible when governments not only invest in life-saving technologies but focus on getting those technologies into the hands of the people who need them most,” Gates said.
He also highlighted Rwanda’s vaccination efforts. He noted the decline in under-five child mortality, which has fallen from 59,000 deaths in 2000 to about 16,000 in recent years.
