Tuesday, March 19

Rwanda

Universal-Health-Coverage
  • According to the UNDP, only 20% of Africans can access quality health care easily.
  • World Health Organization recognizes Rwanda as one of the few American countries to perform well on the goal of Universal health coverage.
  • The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Program (HEPR) has awarded 34 grants worth $177 million as of June 2022.

Rwanda is among the upcoming African countries trying to catch up to its sister countries. Today Rwanda is among the few African countries that strive to attain Universal Health Coverage, and this comes because 90% of Rwanda's population has health insurance.

Understanding what exactly is Universal Health Coverage

Universal Health Coverage, or UHC, is used when a government can provide medical access to all its citizens regardless of where and when the patient requires it. It is a known fact that medical debt is among the top three causes of personal financial difficulties, alongside education

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Energy Resources across Africa.Source Research Gate Oghomwen Igbinovia

As Africa’s role in the global economy continues to garner prominence, it’s imperative for the continent to seal the gaping hole in its power supply.

Lack of universal power access remains a major roadblock that has retrogressed industrialization and socio-economic development. Statistics from the World Bank indicate that Africa remains the least electrified region in the world, with 568 million people lacking access to electricity.

The Bretton Woods institution, further notes that the Sub-Saharan Africa’s share of the global population without electricity, jumped to 77 per cent in 2020 from 71 per cent in 2018, whilst most regions saw declines in their share of access deficits. It has become a Hobson’s choice for African governments to prioritize the power sector, which is the epicenter of industrialization, working towards Goal 7 of the UN SDGs; which advocates for universal access to affordable, reliable and modern electricity services.

Currently, Africa’s power is …

www.theexchange.africa
  • Rwanda will receive two loans amounting to $180 million from the African Development Bank 
  • The funds will support a major energy project that will extend electricity access to rural areas and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • It entails the construction of over 1,000 km of medium voltage and 3,300 km of low voltage lines to boost last-mile access
  • The project is expected to connect 77,470 households to the electricity network for the first time and connect 75 schools, eight health centres and 65 administration centres

Rwanda will receive two loans amounting to $180 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to co-finance a major energy project that will extend electricity access to rural areas and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In a statement seen by The Exchange Africa, the AfDB said the new funding follows the approval for $84.2 million made in May 2021 for the same project.

According to the lender, …

COVID-19 impacted Rwanda’s Economy

A new report has revealed that Rwanda’s tourism revenues from international visitors dropped by an estimated 35 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, with the total of number of visitors dropping by 47.2 percent in 2020.

The report, Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on East African economies by Deloitte indicates that in the months of April and May, Rwanda saw a drop of 100 percent in the number of international tourists following the announcement of the lockdown.

The losses related to Meetings, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism were estimated to be around USD 80m for events that would have been hosted between Mar-2020 and Nov-2020.

The report shows that Rwanda benefitted on a global scale as from the third quarter of 2020 after being included on the European Union’s list of ‘epidemiologically safe’ countries for travel.

“The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) continues to promote tourism in 2021. The board …

https://theexchange.africa/

A plan seeking to revive tourism in East Africa has been approved, following the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the sector.

Dubbed ‘The EAC Regional COVID-19 Tourism Recovery Plan’, the map was approved by the East African Community Sectoral Council led by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala.

Tourism ministers from the East Africa Community noted that some partner states had already instituted measures such as the formulation of stimulus packages aimed at re-igniting the sector and supporting tourism investments including the Small and Micro Enterprises.

In his opening remarks, Balala underscored the importance of the Partner States working together especially in addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector and in joint tourism recovery efforts.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught all of some really important lessons. For instance, domestic and regional tourism markets are really important and they can help in making …

rwanda

At the turn of the millennium, the Rwandan government purposed what became known as Vision 2020. The government’s goal in implementing this policy was to move from an agricultural-based economy to a digitized and middle-income society by the year 2020. Having made this bold assertion, the government facilitated the linking of the country to global wireless networks. With increased connectivity, Rwanda’s tech revolution began.  

To date, mobile phones are very popular in the country, with connectivity available in rural areas. In asserting its commitment to the provision of ICT tools and programs, the Rwandan 500 franc note is embossed with a picture of young children working on laptops. ICT gadgets are also available for purchase on credit facilities, with smaller tech companies partnering with leaders in the industry to avail such options to the consumer. …

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lava drc goma

After spending the night outdoors following eruption of Mount Nyiragongo earlier Saturday, thousands of residents in Goma, a major city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have finally managed to get refuge in Rwanda.

After the eruption, the fleeing residents are said to have walked towards Rwanda but the boarders were closed at the time.

Initially, they are believed to have gone back to Goma and headed to an area north of the city, but Rwanda has now opened its borders to accommodate them.

According to Vincent Karega, the Rwandan ambassador to DRC who is stationed in Kinshasa, Rwanda had welcomed those fleeing the volcanic eruption.

He denied reports that the evacuees had been initially blocked from entering the Country.

DR Congo to evacuate city as volcano erupts

“The Rwandan borders are open and the reception of our neighbours is taking place peacefully. There was no blockage whatsoever but rather the organisation of coordinated entries,” he said.…

Kenyan startup Taz Technologies, the company behind, MPost technology has announced plans to invest Sh200 million to expand to new markets in the region.

Co – Founder and Chief Executive Officer Twahir Mohamed revealed the company plans to seek to finalise Series A funding to help them expand in a bid to increase its presence in the region.

Mohamed said in the next one year the company plans to enter Rwanda and Tanzania and is also eyeing Democratic Republic of Congo the following year.

In 2019, the company closed a Sh190 million Series A funding but got Sh150 million.

“We tested the product, and it’s ready to be exported to other markets. That’s why we are going to the market to source for more funds in a bid to accelerate the development of our product functionalities and create other value-added service offerings,” said Mohammed.

The company’s flagship product MPost is …

Rwanda financial sector innovation icdl africa

The East African country is in a booming phase. Innovations in the financial sector have played a significant role in catapulting Rwanda’s economy. Economic growth has ballooned at an average of 7.2% per year. 

 

Mobile banking, communication networks development and growth-oriented policies have seen the country’s financial sector fostering growth in the economy. Rwanda is one of the fastest-growing nations in Africa. Significant progress has been made, considering the political landscape the country was coming from, post the horrific 1994 genocide. …

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