{{The minister of Health, Dr.Agnes Binagwaho has won Roux award counting over 70 million Rwandan francs for improving health services in Rwanda. She will be presented with the Roux Prize at a ceremony today in Washington, DC, on October 21.{}}}
The Roux Prize is given by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and is named for founding board member David Roux and his wife, Barbara. Launched in November 2013, it is the world’s largest award for evidence-based public health achievement and has drawn nominations from across the globe.
The award is attributed to the effective use of Global Burden Disease (GBD) data and evidence from the Ministry’s own data-gathering efforts to ensure the country’s limited resources are saving the most lives and reducing suffering.
Dr. Binagwaho returned in Rwanda in 1996 coming from France where he was working as a pediatrician. As she said, when she returned, most of health systems infrastructure had been destroyed and many health workers had been killed or fled the country during the 1994 Genocide. “There was no trust in the health system, no medications, and no tools to provide health care,” said Minister Dr. Binagwaho.
“I remember coming back with kilos of medications in my bag, just to be able to provide care.”She added.
Some of achievements made include a campaign to decrease neonatal deaths as well as a program to distribute 1 million clean cook stoves to the most vulnerable households.
Dr. Binagwaho becomes the second winner of the Roux prize.
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