During a working visit to Switzerland, Rwanda’s Health Minister Dr Sabin Nsanzimana met Swiss Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider in Bern to discuss expanding cooperation in digital health, workforce development, epidemic preparedness, research and life sciences.
Nsanzimana was accompanied by Rwanda Development Board Deputy CEO Juliana Muganza. Baume-Schneider heads Switzerland’s Federal Department of Home Affairs, which oversees the country’s health portfolio.
The Ministry of Health said the discussions reaffirmed the existing partnership between Rwanda and Switzerland and considered opportunities for greater cooperation across the health sector.
Digital health and workforce development are among the priorities in Rwanda’s Health Sector Strategic Plan for 2024-2029.
The plan includes the 4×4 reform, through which Rwanda aims to quadruple its healthcare workforce by expanding medical education and strengthening training, career development and working conditions.
Rwanda established the National Health Intelligence Centre in 2025 to integrate and analyse real-time information from hospitals, clinics, national health programmes and community health workers. The platform supports health planning, research and policy decisions.
The country is also implementing a three-year programme to improve its ability to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks.
The initiative focuses on surveillance and early-warning systems, laboratory capacity and health workforce preparedness.
Switzerland has maintained a regional cooperation programme covering Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2009. Its work in the Great Lakes region has included health, economic development and governance.
Elie GATETE
RADIOTV10