Category: Health

{{After complaints from the public, the Ministry of Health has released a press statement regarding the death of the 12 years old Jessica Ishimwe Igihozo and below is the statement from the Ministry of Health as sent through emails to different media houses.}}

PRESS STATEMENT

{{The unfortunate death of ISHIMWE Jessica}}

The Ministry of Health and University Teaching Hospital (CHUK) are
saddened by the unfortunate death of 12-year-old Jessica Ishimwe who
passed away on the morning of Thursday 10th November 2011, at the
hospital.

Ishimwe had been hospitalized in CHUK for two years suffering from a
rare and complicated genetically inherited disease with no known
preventive measures and curative treatment

Ever since this disease was diagnosed six years ago, a team of Medical
experts at CHUK has been administering supportive or palliative
treatment with expert advice from specialists coming from Europe and
North America.

Despite this treatment, the young Jessica passed away and we can only
hope that one day, Researchers and Scientists will be able to provide
health professionals with the prescription to treat this kind of
illness not only in Rwanda but across the world.

The entire health sector wishes to extend its sincere condolences to
the parents of Jessica, her friends and well-wishers during these sad
moments.

May her soul rest in eternity!

Dr. Agnes Binagwaho
Minister of Health

{{The New Times journalist, Gloria Anyango Iribagiza has been awarded White Ribbon Alliance voices award for having reported on maternal health and family planning.}}

Iribagiza has been awarded by White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood –Rwanda that is conducting a journalist’s workshop on maternal health and family planning issues.

In one-day training, Iribagiza was only given a certificate of recognition but will be flying to United Kingdom soon to pick her prize.

“I am so great full for the award given to me. This has increased my motivation to keep on creating awareness about Maternal Health.” Iribagiza said after receiving her certificate.

Asked why she finds much passion in reporting such stories Iribagiza said that Maternal Health stories were not reported before yet it affects major parts of human day today lives.

Iribagiza challenged her fellow journalists especially those in upcountry where a big part of the population affected by maternal and family planning issues so as create awareness to ensure the rate of affected people decreases.

According to Alphosina Mukarugema the chairperson of White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood –Rwanda, said that iribagiza led a team working on her desk in The New Times news paper where they reported extensively on maternal health and family planning hence contributing to its awareness.

Mukarugema who is also the president of FFPR, said that Iribagiza has been working so hard to report about maternal health while creating and increasing awareness on the program.

“She actually owned the whole program by reporting every segment, am sure the public must have been acquainted by her reporting,” Mukarugema has said in the ongoing training of journalists on maternal health and family planning.

It is said that every day 1000 women and girls, and 1000s of babies die during and after pregnancy and at child birth due to infections and complications.

The White Ribbon Alliance is an international coalition that pushes for change to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for women and newborn babies around the world.

Iribagiza published a magazine called Dreams for Rwandan daughters, which illustrated role of women in maternal health and family planning.

{{Rwanda has highlighted prostitution as a central area to curb HIV/AIDS prevalence in the country.}}

This has been pointed out by Dr Anita Asiimwe, Deputy Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) during the press briefing in preparation of annual National Paediatric Conference on children and HIV/AIDS.

The conference will focus on adolescents in the National HIV/AIDS response.

The conference which will take place November 9, to 11 in Kigali, will attract over 400 policy makers, international and national researchers, children, health care providers, development partners and different NGO’s.

Responding to igihe.com, Dr. Asiimwe said that a survey was underway across the country to mark the areas where prostitutes normally operate so that they can be gathered together and be educated about their status to make them determine their future lives.

She also said that 36% of the sex workers’ clients have turned out to be married men emphasising that proper education should be ensured.

Responding on the main objective of the forthcoming conference, Dr Asiimwe said that the conference aims at understanding the current status of the HIV epidemic and response among adolescents.

She also said it will aim at advocating for high level commitment, adolescent participation and multi-sectoral response to adolescents, HIV and recommend strategic orientations for greater focus on adolescents in the national HIV response.

Most journalists asked what is being done to the distribution of condoms in schools whereby many of the Seminary schools and institutions have cut short the programme with a view that the distribution will instead increase risks of sexual immorality.

Asiimwe responded to the questions that the Ministry of Health will work along the Ministry of Education to find possible solution to the issue.

There is a report saying that approximately 614 young girls were pregnant in schools last year which shows high risks of getting infected with the pandemic.

{{Ends}}

{{Information reaching igihe.com indicates that Ministry of Health is yet to present to the government research results detailing the relationship between Homosexuality and HIV prevalence in Rwanda.}}

The survey that begun early this year 2011 is under supervision by the Health Ministry.

However, a reliable source told this reporter that the results had been shelved saying that the officials found them ‘disturbing’ and that couldnt be made public.

The Director General of Heath Communication Centre (HCC), Arthur Asiimwe denied allegations that the research results had been shelved.

“Mr. Bigabo, this report has not been shelved or hidden from my office like you mention. It’s still under study and the principle investigator is still analyzing the data before validaing it. Keep your ears on the ground.” Asiimwe wrote in a comment he posted on the Rwanda Journalists Online Forum on Facebook last week.

“Bigabo those are rumors. As I write this, am seated next to an investigator who is still working on the document. It cannot be presented to government before sectoral validation.” said Asiimwe who was contributing to a topic on the Forum that requested contributors to provide information on Homosexuality and HIV in Rwanda.

The Executive Secretary of Rwanda National AIDS Control Commission (CNLS) Dr. Anita Asiimwe added that the research is ongoing and will soon be presented to partners for validation.

However, Dr. Asiimwe couldn’t share any information from the findings citing that it was against the research policy.

“At this moment I can’t say anything since the report is being handled by the ministry of health,” she remarked.

When contacted the Health Minister Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, she said, “I’m in a meeting”. When insisted Binagwaho said; “ Wrong Rumors”.

In related development, the Prime Minister of Britain David Cameron has threatened to consider withholding aid from countries that do not recognise Homosexuality rights.

Cameron told Commonwealth leaders in Perth, Australia after they failed to adopt reforms on the Gay rights issue.

“Britain is now one of the premier aid givers in the world. We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights, and that includes how people treat gay and lesbian people,” Cameron said.

“British aid should have more strings attached, in terms of do you persecute people for their faith or their Christianity, or do you persecute people for their sexuality. We don’t think that’s acceptable.”

Asked on whether UK aid to Rwanda will be withheld under the lack of recognition of Gay rights, Rwanda’s Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama said, “I cant comment of UK business”.

Karugarama emphasised that the Rwandan constitution doesn’t discriminate against any sexual orientation.

Cameron insisted the issue of gay rights had been discussed at the summit and he had personally raised it with “a number of the African countries that I’ve been speaking with,” although he would not say which ones.

“We’ve been raising the issue consistently, we’ve been raising it here at this Commonwealth heads of government (summit),” he said.

However, Cameron said change would not happen overnight, saying: “They are in a different place from us on this issue. I think these countries are all on a journey and it’s up to us to try and help them along on that journey.”

Responding to Cameron’s statement, Karugarama said, “We (Rwanda) don’t have a special law on homosexuality. We (Rwanda) treat everyone equal; however, the problem is when sex is used immorally”.

{{World Health Organisation(WHO) has called upon countries to double their efforts to cut down child mortality.}}

Speaking at the at a four-day regional child survival meeting that attracted eight African Francophone countries Dr Phanuel Habimana Child and Adolescent Programme Manager at WHO Rwanda Office, said that much as there are tremendous achievements in the region, there were still more efforts needed to cut-down child mortality rate.

Habimana reminded countries in the region that Millennium Development Goal 4 is to see child deaths cut-down by two-thirds come 2015.

“There has been lots of progress in slashing mortality rate in Rwanda. The rate has been steadily going down by seven percent per year,” Habimana said.

Habimana advised that the countries should pay attention to the two killer diseases pneumonia and diarrhea which remains a big threat to child death.
Out of 8.8 millionchild deaths, 1.6 million were caused by pneumonia and 1.3 million by diarrhea, according to 2008 statistics from WHO.

Doctor Agnes Binagwaho, Rwanda’s Minister of Health pointed that the number of pneumonia cases among children has drastically reduced, however adding that a lot more efforts still needed.

Binagwaho also added that child mortality rate in Rwanda had been reduced by 50 percent.

She however called upon public to play their role especially in hygiene much as the government and its partners play their role in fighting these diseases citing an example of diarrhea.

“Rwanda is doing a great job especially with children vaccination programmes. It was among the first countries in Africa to use the pneumonia vaccine and the results are remarkable.” Said Angela Hwang Childhood Pneumonia the Programme Officer, at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

About 3,800,000 hens in the country need to be vaccinated to protect them from possible bird deseases, Doctor Otto Vianney Muhinda Director of Veterinary Services from Rwanda Agricultral Board has said.

Muhinda says a countrywide hen vaccination is intended to begin early December to fight against the previously neglected poultry diseases so as to minimise losses incurred by farmers..

While speaking to igihe.com in an interview Doctor Muhinda said vaccination aims at increasing productivity of poultry in the country.

“To get better production you have to vaccinate all diseases that affect chickens like new castle disease,” Muhinda has said.

Despite having attained 3,500,000 vaccines, Rwanda Agricultural Board(RAB) still has a deficit of 300, 000 vaccine to the targets vaccination of 3,800,000 hens across the country.

The vaccination exercise will be carried out by Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) in partnership with The African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).

Previous five years, Newcastle disease is said to have claimed over 1.5 million birds resulting into an est. loss of US$13.6m. Newcastle disease is a contagious bird disease affecting many domestic and wild avian species.

Poultry farmers will for the first time have their birds vaccinated against the disease.

Human exposure to the infected birds can cause mild conjunctivitis and influenza-like symptoms, but otherwise, the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) poses no hazards to human health.

No treatment for NDV exists, but the use of prophylactic vaccines and sanitary measures reduce the likelihood of the possible outbreak.

The initiative is part of the African Union’s move aimed at eradicating neglected diseases in poultry.

Addressing farmers, Dr. Muhinda, said the exercise will be implemented in two phases, targeting mainly commercial famers.

This follows yesterday’s training of poultry farmers from different areas across the country. They were trained on how to maintain and manage a poultry farm including fighting poultry diseases affect productivity.

Christine Nyiransabimana is a citizen of Kicukiro District in Kanombe Sector started hen project in 1997 with 30 hens but now has increased 5000 hens due to proper management.

Nyiransabimana says, raising chicken needs to have passionate and strong dream because it involves a lot of work and attention.

“You need to protect them from coldness, minding about temperature and humidity plus vaccinating them and feeding them almost every time,” Nyiransabimana said.

She says it was a profitable business which has enabled her afford to buy a land, set up a house and manage to pay school fees for her children.

{{Cases of mentally sick Rwandans are currently on high rapid increase, statistics from Centre Neuropsychiatrique de Ndera (CNPN) in Ndera Sector, Gasabo District have suggested.}}

Statistics indicate that in 2006 the hospital received 20,124 cases, then 25,830 cases in 2007, while mental cases increased to 31,125 in 2008 and 36,396 cases in 2010.

Unfortunately no tangible reasons that have been recorded as the Ministry is said to have not carried out any study to determine the factors leading to the increase of mental cases.

This has been revealed in a press conference held at the Ministry of Health Offices in Kicukiro District.

Press conference was aimed at briefing the press about the Rwanda’s joining the rest of the world to celebrate World Mental Health Day which is celebrated every October 10 annually but Rwanda will celebrate it October 27.

Doctor Yvonne Kayiteshonga the Director of Mental Health Department in the Ministry of Health said that 40% of the world countries don’t have stable policies towards mental health.

“ 40% of the world’s countries don’t have stable Mental Health policies an indication that they don’t have stable policies and that is the essence for any country to reintegrate the mentally sick in normal life.” Kayiteshonga said.

Kayiteshonga commended government efforts to promote mental health countrywide whereby out of 43 District hospitals 40 hospitals are equipped with well trained doctors and personnel to deal with mental sickness.

World Mental Health Day, is annually held on October 10th to raise public awareness about mental health issues worldwide.

This event promotes open discussions on illnesses, as well as investments in prevention and treatment services in mental health.

This year’s world mental health day theme is “The Great Push: Investing in Mental Health”.

{{The Military Hospital of Kanombe has launched eye operations of corneal transplantation for people living eye problems.
}}

This is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue (the graft) in its entirety (penetrating keratoplasty) or in part (lamellar keratoplasty).

The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber.

Exclusively speaking to igihe.com, Lt. Col. Dr. John Nkurikiye, the only Rwandan specialist Consultant Ophthalmology noted; “we have been doing it at King Faisal and it is the first time here at Kanombe Military Hospital. We have been importing corneas but since the government passed the law, we are up to set up an eye bank in Rwanda and then Rwandans themselves can then be sensitized to start donating cornea tissues.”

Nkurikiye added that only 43 patients in history of Rwanda have been given new corneas and that now the process will always be conducted twice a year.
While at Kanombe 4 patients were operated and fixed with corneas imported from the US.

Yvone Uwamungu 28, living in Kayonza district, Eastern Province stopped teaching after she was affected by the problem.

“It was in 1997, when I went to private hospital; they failed to work on me and instead told me that operation is not done in Rwanda. I therefore went to South Africa but still it did not work out.” Uwamungu pointed out.

She added that she came back and went to King Faisal and doctor Nkurikiye transferred her to Kanombe hospital where he operated her from today.

The whole process of transporting and fixing of the corneal goes up to Rwf1M
The graft is being removed from a recently deceased individuals with no known diseases or other factors that may affect the viability of the donated tissue or the health of the recipient.