Rwanda had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 14. Since then, the number of cases has been increasing steadily as more testing is done. The potential for rapid escalation is high, with devastating consequences. IiH innovator Health Builders is working closely with the Rwandan Ministry of Health to decrease the spread of this disease by providing personal protective equipment and other vital resources to more than 50 health centers across the country.
Health Builders, founded in 2007, has as its vision the belief that all people should have access to high-quality care that enables them to live dignified, healthy and prosperous lives. Health Builders achieves this vision by partnering with the Rwanda Ministry of Health and local governments to apply health systems strengthening interventions: capacity building of healthcare providers, construction of primary healthcare centers and provision of life-saving technologies at the primary healthcare level.
Since 2016, Health Builders has trained 357 health center staff members and provided indirect support to other 1,226 staff members in three districts (Rwamagana, Rulindo and Nyabihu). Although Health Builders does not operate medical facilities, the organization invests in construction of comprehensive primary healthcare centers where access is limited and in improving inadequate healthcare infrastructure to ensure that patients have access to quality care. This mandate has seen the organization build seven state-of-the-art healthcare centers and two maternity wards in five rural Rwandan districts. The Rwandan Ministry of Health manages these healthcare centers, which serve more than 18,480 outpatients monthly.
In 2017, Health Builders joined the IiH network. Today, the organization continues to train and mentor healthcare center staff and to forge new partnerships to expand its reach. To learn more about Health Builders and how you can increase the organization’s impact, go to: