Health Care

Call 114 for any health related issues.

Statistics 2011 (Statistics are for the entire country)

Population (Rwanda): 11,370,425

Population (Musanze): 350,069

 

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 42.9%

15-64 years: 54.7%

65 years and over: 2.4%

 

Median Age:

Total: 18.7 years

Male: 18.5 years

Female: 19 years

 

Sex Ratio:

At birth: 1.03 male(s) per female

Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s) per female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s) per female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s) per female

Total population: 0.99 male(s) per female

 

Birthrate: 36.74 births/1,000 people

Death rate: 9.88-deaths/1,000 people

Infant Mortality rate: 64.04 deaths/1,000 live births

 

Life expectancy at birth: 58.02 years

Male: 56.57 years

Female: 59.52 years

 

Fertility rate: 4.9 children born per woman

HIV/AIDS: 2.9%

 

Major Infectious Diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vector borne disease: malaria

Animal contact disease: rabies

 

*Courtesy of the CIA Factbook www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

 

 

Health Care in Rwanda

The introduction of the Mutuelle de Sante, a community based health insurance program, has offered health care to those who once saw it as a luxury item available only to the wealthy class. Health coverage has now exceeded 90% of the population, with 80% of the HIV/AIDS infected Rwandans receiving quality treatment. Because of this available new health insurance, the mother and child mortality rate has decreased significantly.

 

HIV/AIDS

Although the amount of people living with HIV/AIDS has decreased significantly over the past few years, it is still a major threat to the population. In 2009, an estimated 170,000 people were living with HIV and/or AIDS, and approximately 4,100 people died of the disease. With 2.9% of the population living with HIV/AIDS, the Rwandan Government is making great efforts to combat this disease through education and awareness.

 

Malaria

Although malaria is not as prevalent in the Musanze district as it is in the southern districts, largely due to the altitude and colder climate, it is still a serious threat for this region. The Rwandan Government has advised that all citizens and visitors should sleep under a mosquito net to prevent against this disease.

Talk to your travel doctor about the different prevention medications available, such as Malarone and Lariam. The malaria treatment medication is called Coartem 20/120 and can be found at most pharmacies in Rwanda for about 5,000 RWF, unless you have Mutuelle de Sante and then it only costs 500 RWF.

 

In Musanze

Nine Health Centers, two Dispensaries, and one Hospital are located within district boundaries and readily available to the public. Health Centers are the main place of treatment in Musanze, with over 87% of patients flocking to them for treatment. The main hospital is called Musanze Hospital. Unless it is an emergency, most people must go through the Health Centers before being admitted to the hospital.

The Immunization of infants and children against measles and other preventable diseases is over and above 100% in Musanze.

The amount of women who travel to the Musanze Hospital to give birth has increased from 1.832 in 2007 to currently 3.294, and the number of women who go for prenatal checkups has increased to about 11 out of every 76 pregnancies.