The statement released last night shows that 104 people have caught the virus, 99 recovered, 5 are critically ill while 297 were vaccinated yesterday bringing the total number to 348, 296 since Rwanda began countrywide vaccination program.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus case on 14th March 2020. Since then, 21210 have been tested positive of whom 19540 have recovered, 1372 are active cases while 298 have succumbed to the virus.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
She delivered the message during a virtual concert held yesterday on 24th March at the celebration of World Tuberculosis Day.
Mico The Best performed along with renowned Rwandan rapper, Riderman.
The concert was mainly organized to convey messages encouraging people to up Tuberculosis preventive efforts and go for early diagnosis because the disease can be treated at early stages.
During the concert, Dr. Lucica Ditiu greatly thanked artiste Mico The Best and the Ministry of Health for joining him in anti-Tuberculosis (TB) campaign.
“Hi all. It is of great value to get this opportunity to deliver my message in support of the solidarity of my friends and partners from Rwanda. I am excited to be here. My thanks go to the Ministry of Health and brother Mico The Best,” she said.
Dr. Lucica Ditiu also commended Rwanda’s disease prevention efforts and Mico The Best for organizing the concert in light with the celebration of World Tuberculosis Day.
She assured support to the artiste and the Government of Rwanda along the journey to defeat Tuberculosis.
Construction activities that began in July 2019 are expected to be completed next month in April 2021.
The substation is built in Ruzuba village, Rugeshi cell, Mukamira sector in Nyabihu district. It is the first substation completed in the district expected to aliment electricity to Nyabihu and neighboring districts including Rubavu, Rutsiro, Ngororero and Musanze and address power blackouts.
The Branch Manager of REG in Nyabihu district, Martin Mutsindashyaka has said that Nyabihu residents used to pull electricity from far distant ‘Camp Belge’ power station in Musanze which triggered intermittent electricity due to long distribution channel.
Mutsindashyaka also explained that the substation will aliment adequate electricity to other factories under construction in Nyabihu.
52% of households in Nyabihu district have access to electricity.
In a bid to fast track development activities, Rwanda targets universal electricity access by 2024.
Figures from REG show that over 59,7% Rwandans currently have access to electricity.
They are being constructed at schools which struggled to cook for students due to lack of kitchens.
The development was revealed on Tuesday by the State Minister in Charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Gaspard Twagirayezu at the celebration of African School Feeding Day held at Groupe Scolaire Kayanga in Rutunga sector, Gasabo district.
Twagirayezu explained that the activity is meant to help schools find dining places unlike the past when they used to eat from their classes.
He emphasized that feeding children at school helps them to stay concentrated on studies and requested parents to support respective schools to implement the program.
“The current policy seeks to feed every student at school. Secondly, it was decided that all children will be fed from school starting from nursery kids but it requires adequate infrastructure for the program to materialize. The construction of kitchens which is underway is among other preparations facilitating the program,” he said.
The head teacher of GS Kayanga, Nahayo Clemence has said that feeding children in classes has been annoying.
“Children are still fed from classrooms because of lacking refectories. The construction of kitchens underway will help us to find comfortable places where we will be cooking and feeding children,” she said.
The Government pays Rwf 56 for every student to be fed at school while the remaining cost is covered by the school and parents.
It is expected that the school feeding program will be rolled out to children from nursery schools once these new kitchens are completed.
They are built at recently completed or under-construction 12-year basic education schools, semi-public schools among others lacking such infrastructure.
The development was revealed yesterday during the 17th Annual Development Partners Retreat (DPR) which brings together senior Government officials and Development Partners.
The two-day event held place virtually for the first time, centers on the theme of the retreat, “Stronger Recovery – the path to strategic transformation.” The retreat showcases Rwanda’s effort in containing the effects of COVID-19 and the recovery efforts underway.
Under COVAX facility, Rwanda like other developing countries, will receive vaccines covering 20% of its population. With over 12.9 million population, Rwanda has to receive approximately 2.5 million vaccines to cover 20%.
On the other hand, World Health organization (WHO) says that should at least vaccinate 60% of their population to ensure efforts to defeat the pandemic yield big, starting from people most vulnerable to catch the virus including health workers, people with chronic diseases and those in advanced ages.
To reach the target, Rwanda needs to vaccinate 7.7 million people using 15.5 million doses because currently distributed vaccines including Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca require two doses administration for efficacy.
The Government of Rwanda has revealed that US$ 124 million (over Rwf 123 billion) are needed to acquire, store, distribute and administer vaccines covering 60% of the population as expected by June 2022.
Richard Tusabe; the Minister of State in charge of the National Treasury has said that the Government is holding talks with partners to raise Rwf 46.7 billion to be allocated to ongoing national vaccination efforts.
Rolande Pryce, World Bank Country Manager for Rwanda has also emphasized that the bank might definitively approve US$30 million (over Rwf 29 billion) grant allocated to support Rwanda’s countrywide vaccination program.
In partnership with Development Partners, Government has spared no effort to cushion the economic impact by providing health and medical related equipment, expanding social protection programs, investing in agriculture and infrastructure to provide food security and create employment, provided support to businesses hardest hit by the pandemic to resume operations and thus contribute to recovery by creating the Economic Recovery Fund.
“As Development Partners, we have been pleased to support the government’s excellent response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Development Partners Retreat facilitates joint reflection on policy and other actions to achieve a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive post-COVID recovery for Rwanda. We are privileged to have this opportunity.” said Rolande Pryce, World Bank Country Manager.
As Allianz prepares to expand its presence in the East African insurance market – building on a solid foundation in Kenya and with the acquisition of the majority of shares in Jubilee General Insurance Company in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritius and Burundi – this event is the second of a series aiming at sharing with stakeholders pan African solutions that the Allianz Group can offer through its footprint in Africa, by extending to the continent its expertise as a worldwide insurance leader.
Allianz Africa brought together agriculture and insurance experts such as Dr. Reto Schneider, Regional Head of Agriculture at Allianz Re, Lovemore Forichi, Senior Underwriter of Agriculture at Allianz Re, Gregoire Tombez, CEO of WARM Consulting Group Ltd and Co-founder of Green Triangle, Erastus Ndege Ochieng, Asset Manager, Agriculture Underwriting at Africa Re, Omondi Kasidhi, Head, Sustainable Agriculture Sourcing of Diageo PLC and Delphine Traore, COO of Allianz Africa, to discuss the topic.
“There is an ever increasing need to invest in agriculture, given the vital importance of agriculture as a food source, especially in view of the increase in global population”, declared Delphine Traoré, to explain the interest of Allianz Africa for
sustainability in the agricultural sector.
Indeed, agriculture production makes up a substantial portion of the continent’s GDP in Africa, yet only a small portion of the producers are insured. Raising awareness of the vital role that agriculture insurance plays in sustaining agricultural production is a key step to increasing insurance penetration in the sector.
“Allianz Africa aims to contribute towards closing the protection gap and position itself as a leading agriculture (re)insurance provider on the continent,’’ added Delphine.
In addition, climate risks increase the need for investments to make agriculture more resilient, following the panel’s experts. They agreed that the development and commercialization of agriculture requires financial services that can support. To this end, agricultural insurance is strategically important for eradicating extreme poverty, boosting prosperity and protecting livelihoods.
In 2020, the insurance industry recorded a cumulative premium of approx. 300mn USD from agricultural insurance. The Southern and Eastern regions of Africa contributed more than 80% of the recorded premium.
Eastern Africa recently recorded an improvement in its trajectory. Dr. Reto Schneider stated that “the agricultural sector in the insurance industry could reach the potential of 1bn USD within 10 years, provided that penetration can be substantially increased.”
During the webinar, parametrics solutions were presented as the direction for the future. They bring a number of advantages such as high accuracy with state-of-the-art satellite information, hybrid products to address additional perils, increased efficiency through fully paperless processes, fast and automated payouts possible, high level of traceability, combination with loans and integration of the value chain.
Despite certain limitations, “technology is closing the gap between indemnity and parametric crop insurance and allows to get the best of both worlds in a single product”, Gregoire Tombez, CEO of WARM Consulting Group Ltd and Co-founder of GreenTriangle stated.
To have a reliable parametrics system that provides efficient solutions, the panel emphasized the necessity to bring significant improvements through product suitability, affordability, value chain efficiency, distribution, information and training.
{{About Allianz Africa}}
In Africa, Allianz is currently present in 12 countries and accompanies clients in 49 markets. Its 1.300 employees achieved regional revenues of 663 million euros in 2019. Allianz also provides micro-insurance for 1.7mn low – income families and individuals in Africa.
Speaking to IGIHE, Mico The Best thanked Minister Ngamije for joining him in the anti-Tuberculosis campaign and delivering a message mobilizing Rwandans to prevent Tuberculosis and go for diagnosis.
“Minister Dr. Ngamije joined us in anti-Tuberculosis campaign and delivered a message to be conveyed during my concert featuring performances of Riderman,” he said.
World Tuberculosis Day is observed on 24th March each year with the aim of spreading public awareness about the global epidemic of Tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease.
The theme of World Tuberculosis Day 2021 is ‘The Clock is Ticking’. The theme has been chosen as it ‘conveys the sense that the world is running out of time to act on the commitments to end TB made by global leaders’.
In his message, Minister Ngamije said that Rwanda expended much effort to take care of Tuberculosis patients amidst Covid-19.
He explained that workers from all health facilities have been equipped with modern equipment for the treatment of Tuberculosis.
Among others, the country has decentralized health services whereby patients receive drugs for free until they recover.
Rwanda has also reinforced the capacity of community health workers with a view to completely eradicate Tuberculosis by 2035.
On World Tuberculosis Day, Mico The Best staged a virtual concert featuring performance by renowned rapper Riderman.
Mico The Best joined awareness campaign against Tuberculosis (TB) since March last year.
Reonald Habinshuti, 45, was arrested red-handed producing the illicit brew at his home located in Karuhaya Village, Sovu Cell in Huye Sector.
He was arrested alongside five other people, who were found at his house drinking kanyanga.
The Police spokesperson for the Southern region, Superintendent of Police (SP)Theobald Kanamugire said Habinshuti, who is currently detained at Huye Police station, was arrested on a tip-off from local residents.
“Residents reported that Habinshuti was distilling kanyanga from his home and mainly supplying local bars. In the previous operations, he managed to flee with the help of the locals, who would tip him off on seeing the Police,” SP Kanamugire said.
This time, he said, Police responded immediately to a call from a resident and Habishuti was arrested red-handed producing kanyanga. He had already distilled 30 litres, which were impounded alongside other containers and raw materials he was using to distill the illicit gin as well five customers found there drinking,” he added.
He thanked the residents, who reported the criminal practice, for the community policing spirit and called for continued information sharing on dealers and producers of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Under article 263 of the law determining offences and penalties in general in Rwanda, anyone convicted for dealing in “simple narcotic drugs” faces between seven and ten years in prison and a fine of between Rwf5 million and Rwf10 million.
The statement released last night shows that 131 people have caught the virus, 131 recovered, 2 are critically ill while 4906 were vaccinated yesterday bringing the total number to 348,629 since Rwanda began countrywide vaccination program on 5th March 2021.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus case on 14th March 2020. Since then, 21106 b people have been tested positive out of 1,098,629 sample tests of whom 19,441 have recovered, 1368 are active cases while 297 have succumbed to the virus.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
MINEDUC made the request on Tuesday 23rd March 2021, in context of celebrating the African Day of School Feeding during a ceremony that took place at Groupe Scolaire Kayanga located in Rutunga sector of Gasabo district, Kigali city.
The event was characterized by the construction of kitchen gardens and various types of fruits that will help the school to feed its 2158 students.
Gaspard Twagirayezu, the Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education at MINEDUC said that the activity to plant fruit trees and building kitchen gardens at schools will capacitate schools to feed children at noon.
“We encourage all schools to seek own means to feed children with crops available in surroundings. We have today planted fruit trees and vegetables expected to boost the school’s capacity to feed students. The Ministry and partners will gradually strengthen the program to help schools become self-reliant,” he said.
Among others, Twagirayezu explained, fruit trees and vegetables will help nourish students with food rich in nutrients enhancing proper growth.
Kwizera Bosco, a first year student at GS Kayanga said these fruits and vegetables will be helpful to them in coming days.
“We are excited for the activity because planted vegetables and fruits will lessen schools burden as crops will be harvested from the surroundings,” he said.
The head teacher of GS Kayanga, Nahayo Clemence appreciated the Ministry for celebrating the African Day of School Feeding at the school noting that it will help parents to understand the relevance of school feeding program.
“The day helps us to convince parents on the relevance of school feeding program, thus, making them actively involved and deeply understanding that Government’s policies are instituted for common interests,” she said.
She explained that such program saves students time, and prevents susceptible risks from forth and backwards movements as they go home for lunch and return to school every noon. The Government of Rwanda introduced school feeding program in 2014 for students enrolled in 9 and 12 year basic education.
The Government used to allocate the budget of Rwf5.5 billion for the first four consecutive years which increased to Rwf 7 billion in 2019/2020 fiscal year.
Rwanda registered 97.3% students benefiting school feeding program in 2019.
