The Head of the Tuberculosis Division at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Dr. Habimana Mucyo Yves, said that although the disease has decreased compared to previous years, it has not been eliminated.
He made the remarks on March 23, 2026, during the national commemoration of World Tuberculosis Day held in Gasabo District.
“From July 2024 to June 2025, we recorded 8,196 TB patients. While the numbers have not significantly dropped, we are confident that through collaboration with community health workers, the disease can eventually be eradicated,” he said.
Dr. Habimana noted that one of the key strategies involves strengthening the role of community health workers in raising awareness about TB prevention and encouraging early testing.
He emphasized that 27% of all TB patients were referred to health facilities by community health workers, highlighting the progress made in combating the disease.
Tuberculosis remains among the top 10 causes of death globally and disproportionately affects people living with HIV.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Rwanda, Dr. Brian Chirombo, said that global data from 2024 shows that more than 10.7 million people contracted TB, with 1.23 million deaths, including 150,000 among people living with HIV.
In Rwanda, TB prevalence has significantly declined over the years, dropping from 238 cases per 100,000 people in 2000 to 62 cases per 100,000 in 2024.
Recent data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) also shows a general decline in TB-related deaths.
The mortality rate was 6.1% in 2019, 6.4% in 2020, rising to 7.9% in 2021, before dropping to 5.7% in 2022, 4.8% in 2023, and 4.5% in 2024.
Dr. Habimana said Rwanda aims to eliminate tuberculosis entirely by 2035, noting that advanced diagnostic tools such as chest X-ray machines are increasingly being used to detect the disease early.
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