Rwanda is expanding the use of digital technology in healthcare, with real-time health data and artificial intelligence already supporting disease surveillance, resource allocation and health policy decisions.
The Ministry of Health launched the National Health Intelligence Center in April 2025 to bring health information from different parts of the country into one platform.
It receives data from community health workers, health centres, district and referral hospitals, as well as systems covering civil registration, medical supplies, health financing and the health workforce.
The centre now processes and analyses real-time information using advanced digital tools and AI. The data is used for disease surveillance and early warning, emergency response, health planning and decisions on the allocation of resources.
The Ministry is also working to extend AI into routine clinical care. Under the next phase of the 4×4 Health Workforce Development Reform, it has identified AI-supported clinical decision making, diagnostics and digital learning as priorities.
Work underway includes applications for patient triage, clinical decision support and interpretation of medical images.
The Ministry intends to integrate these tools into eBuzima and other electronic medical record systems so they can be used in everyday clinical work rather than operate as separate platforms.
Rwanda has already deployed point-of-care ultrasound devices at health centres and second-generation health posts to support antenatal care.
The Ministry says the equipment can also support future use of AI in medical-image interpretation, particularly in facilities where access to specialists is limited.
Kigali will host the fifth Africa HealthTech Summit from September 30 to October 2, bringing policymakers, health leaders, investors and technology companies together for discussions on the next phase of digital health development in Africa.
The summit will be held under the theme “Wellness for All; Powered by Intelligent Health Systems.”
The 2025 edition brought together 2,601 delegates from 65 countries and focused on connected care and taking health innovations into wider use.
This year’s programme will focus more on prevention and intelligent health systems, with sessions covering AI, primary healthcare digitisation, digital public infrastructure and health financing.
For Rwanda, the meeting comes as the country continues to develop systems that connect health data, digital tools and clinical services.
Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, and Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya are among the speakers listed for the summit.
Elie GATETE
RADIOTV10