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Rwanda
- 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 …
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 …
- 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, …
MTN Rwanda announced the launch of its “We’re Good Together” initiative, derived from the MTN Global Campaign that was launched earlier this month in South Africa.
The aim of the MTN campaign is to demonstrate how it has changed lives by improving digital access, empowering, driving financial inclusion, enabling SMEs, creating jobs and broad community development, among other things.
“MTN believes in creating shared value that enables shared prosperity, but we can’t do this on our own – we continue to seek out like-minded partners so that we can do good together. We see ourselves as a partner to the development of Rwanda, so whatever it is we do, we ensure it has a long-lasting impact in our society,” said Mitwa Ng’ambi, MTN Rwanda CEO while speaking about the company’s role in Rwanda
He said that the company seeks to tell its story that doing good business extends …
Rwanda’s Cabinet approved an agreement with Russia to advance the use of nuclear energy for “peaceful purposes.”
This agreement is expected to bolster relations between the two countries and advance Russia’s interests in the region.
In December last year, the two countries first signed the nuclear energy deal in Moscow which was to see Russian scientists set up a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Kigali.
In May early this year, Rosatom Global a Russian government nuclear parastatal reached an agreement to set up the nuclear plant by 2024. The Russian government says it will help in the advancement of technology in agriculture, energy production and environmental protection in Rwanda.
A Russian press reported that in June, Rwanda started negotiations to purchase Russian missile defence systems and signed agreements to develop a military simulation and training centre in Kigali.
Also Read: Russia and Uganda sign nuclear deal
The deal …
Qatar Airways plans to buy shares that RwandAir is in the process of selling, the succession of the deal is expected to shake up the country’s aviation industry.
Aviation experts say by Qatar buying shares in RwandAir, it could enable it to solidify its presence in the African market given its current woes with its Gulf neighbours.
Qatar Airways was banned from flying over Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates. since mid -2017 it was also banned in Bahrain due to a dispute between it and the Gulf states. Therefore, buying a stake in the RwandAir will support its expansion into Africa as an alternative market after the ban from its key markets.
Despite still making loses, RwandAir has been expanding over the past decade, due to financial injections from the government, many of which are from external loans like the Eurobond.
With Qatar buying shares in RwandAir, it …
Rwanda’s solar energy ambition received an endorsement of a financial instrument from the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance.
According to the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance, the first boost will be US$ 9 million and will enable the deployment of solar home systems for 175,000 households
The institution approved the piloting of solar securitisation, which seeks to improve the financial capacities of developers to enable them to expand and meet the demands in the local market.
Rwanda targets to connect 300,000 households annually to the off-grid energy solutions if it is to meet the 2024 access target which will contribute up to 48 per cent of national electrification.
Among the challenges include the fact that the systems are financed by customers whose sales have been relying on the solar developers’ ability to leverage their own balance sheets which are often constrained.
The firms have often found challenges …
Rwanda’s Mara Group launched two smartphones describing them as the first “Made in Africa” models.
The two smartphones which are, Mara X and Mara Z will use Google’s Android operating system and cost 175,750 Rwandan francs ($190) and 120,250 Rwandan francs ($130) respectively.
They two will compete with Samsung, whose cheapest smartphone costs around $54 and non-branded phones at around $37. Ashish Thakkar Mara Group CEO said it was targeting customers who are willing to pay more for quality.
Mara Group is the first smartphone manufacturer in Africa giving a boost to Rwanda’s ambitions to become a regional technology hub.
Thakkar said that other companies assemble smartphones in Egypt, Ethiopia, Algeria and South Africa, but import the components but they are the first smartphone manufacturers in Africa.
He said that they are making the motherboards the sub-boards during the entire process. He also said that plant had …
Rwanda gets $20 million boost to finance water supply and sanitation programme.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development (OFID) signed an agreement with Rwanda on Wednesday for additional the financing.
Rwanda aims at improving water and sanitation infrastructure in Kigali, the six satellite cities and contain waterborne diseases as well as related healthcare costs with the funding it is getting.
The funding boost is seen to improve the living standards of nearly 1.6 million people. This is in line with the country’s development and poverty reduction agenda which aims at scaling up investments, developing an affordable and environmentally sustainable infrastructure.
The funding is an addition to the $17-million loan that the OPEC Fund gave to Rwanda in March last year. The funding was still for water and sanitation programme whose aim was to ensure equitable provision of adequate, reliable and sustainable water and sanitation …
