The disclosure was made by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, during the National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano) held on February 5–6, 2026.
Rwanda’s health sector has long faced staffing shortages, at times leaving a single health worker responsible for as many as 1,000 patients.
Dr. Butera said the government responded to this challenge by launching an ambitious strategy aimed at quadrupling the number of health workers within four years under the 4×4 programme, which is already showing positive results.
“Our biggest challenge was the shortage of health professionals. Before 2024, only about 1,600 people joined the health sector each year. In the most recent year alone, that number rose to 6,400, nearly four times higher, in line with our goal of expanding the health workforce fourfold within four years,” he said.
The growth has been particularly significant among nurses and midwives. Training capacity for nurses has expanded from around 200 students per year to nearly 2,000, while the annual intake of midwives has increased dramatically from 72 to about 1,000. This expansion is intended to bring maternal and general health services closer to communities across the country.
“With this momentum, we expect health services to become more accessible to citizens in the near future,” Dr. Butera noted.
He also highlighted progress in specialized healthcare services. Over the past three years, Rwanda has carried out kidney transplants for 83 patients, resulting in savings of approximately USD 800,000. In cardiac care, 543 children and 318 adults have undergone heart surgery.
Rwanda currently has 15 teaching hospitals that combine service delivery with medical training. The 2025/26 academic year also saw an increase in secondary schools offering nursing programs, rising from 12 to 18. In addition, both public and private universities and higher learning institutions are enrolling large numbers of students expected to help bridge remaining workforce gaps.
Launched in 2024, the 4×4 programme aims to improve the doctor-to-patient ratio from one doctor per 1,000 people to four doctors per 1,000. As of early July 2024, Rwanda had more than 25,000 health professionals, a figure projected to reach 58,582 by 2028 once the programme is fully implemented.
The initiative is supported by an investment exceeding USD 395 million, allocated to scholarships, training resources, medical equipment, infrastructure development and rehabilitation, and other key components aligned with the programme’s objectives.
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