Impact of facilitating continued accessibility to cancer care during COVID-19 lockdown on perceived wellbeing of cancer patients at a rural cancer center in Rwanda.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda, Partners In Health Inshuti Mu Buzima collaborated with the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE) to mitigate disruptions to cancer care by providing patients with free transportation to treatment sites and medication delivery at patients' local health facilities. We assessed the relationship between facilitated access to care and self-reported wellbeing outcomes. This cross-sectional telephone survey included cancer patients enrolled at BCCOE in March 2020.

Food insecurity and level of depression among patients with chronic diseases, and associated factors during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study in rural Rwanda.

Objectives: We aimed to describe access to food and symptoms of depression among patients with chronic diseases or their caregivers, and assess associated factors during the COVID-19 lockdown in rural Rwanda.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting And Participants: A stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit 220 patients enrolled in the HIV, non-communicable diseases, mental health, paediatric development clinic and oncology programmes in three rural districts of Rwanda.

Designing and implementing equity-based pandemic preparedness and response learning modules: lessons from a multi-country short-course.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionate impacts across race, social class, and geography. Insufficient attention has been paid to addressing the massive inequities worsened by COVID-19. In July 2020, Partners In Health (PIH) and the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) delivered a four-module short course, 'An Equity Approach to Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Emerging Insights from COVID-19 Global Response Leaders.

Implementation of Refugees' Inclusion in National Viral Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Screening Campaign in Mahama Refugee Camp, Rwanda.

Introduction: The World Health Organization has called for the elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) as public health threats by 2030. In response to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees requests, Rwanda became the first country to include refugees in its national viral hepatitis prevention and management program in 2019. We used secondary data to describe the implementation of the first HBV and HCV screening program among refugees in Rwanda.

Hierarchy of qualities in global health partnerships: a path towards equity and sustainability.

Despite the exponential growth of global health partnerships (GHPs) over the past 20 years, evidence for their effectiveness remains limited. Furthermore, many partnerships are dysfunctional as a result of inequitable partnership benefits, low trust and accountability and poor evaluation and quality improvement practices. In this article, we describe a theoretical model for partnerships developed by seven global health experts.

Barriers and coping mechanisms to accessing healthcare during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional survey among patients with chronic diseases in rural Rwanda.

Background: Large scale physical distancing measures and movement restrictions imposed to contain COVID-19, often referred to as 'lockdowns', abruptly and ubiquitously restricted access to routine healthcare services. This study describes reported barriers and coping mechanisms to accessing healthcare among chronic care patients during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in Rwanda.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among chronic care patients enrolled in pediatric development, HIV/AIDS, non-communicable diseases, mental health, and oncology programs at 3 rural Rwandan districts.

High Burden of Undernutrition among At-Risk Children in Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic in Rwanda.

Background: Sufficient knowledge of the disproportionate burden of undernutrition among vulnerable children is required for accelerating undernutrition reduction in low-income countries.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting and associated factors among high-risk children born preterm, with low birth weight or other birth and neurodevelopmental injuries, who received nutritional support and clinical care follow-up in a Pediatric Development Clinic (PDC) in rural Rwanda.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included all children from rural areas enrolled in PDC between April 2014-September 2017 aged 6-59 months at their last visit during this period.

Availability, Costs and Stock-Outs of Essential NCD Drugs in Three Rural Rwandan Districts.

Background: To reduce the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden, the World Health Organization has set a target to reach 80% availability of the affordable essential medicines required to treat NCDs by 2025.

Objectives: This study described the availability, costs, and stock-outs of essential NCD drugs in three rural Rwandan districts.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed 54 NCD drugs listed for district hospitals or health centers in the Rwanda national essential medicines list.

Risk factors for stunting among children under five years: a cross-sectional population-based study in Rwanda using the 2015 Demographic and Health Survey.

Background: Child growth stunting remains a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where 34% of children under 5 years are stunted, and causing detrimental impact at individual and societal levels. Identifying risk factors to stunting is key to developing proper interventions. This study aimed at identifying risk factors of stunting in Rwanda.

A Clinical Mentorship and Quality Improvement Program to Support Health Center Nurses Manage Type 2 Diabetes in Rural Rwanda.

Introduction: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is rapidly rising in SSA. Interventions are needed to support the decentralization of services to improve and expand access to care. We describe a clinical mentorship and quality improvement program that connected nurse mentors with nurse mentees to support the decentralization of type 2 diabetes care in rural Rwanda.

Emergency general surgery in Rwandan district hospitals: a cross-sectional study of spectrum, management, and patient outcomes.

Background: Management of emergency general surgical conditions remains a challenge in rural sub-Saharan Africa due to issues such as insufficient human capacity and infrastructure. This study describes the burden of emergency general surgical conditions and the ability to provide care for these conditions at three rural district hospitals in Rwanda.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included all patients presenting to Butaro, Kirehe and Rwinkwavu District Hospitals between January 1st 2015 and December 31st 2015 with emergency general surgical conditions, defined as non-traumatic, non-obstetric acute care surgical conditions.

Prevalence of Untreated Surgical Conditions in Rural Rwanda: A Population-Based Cross-sectional Study in Burera District.

Importance: In low- and middle-income countries, community-level surgical epidemiology is largely undefined. Accurate community-level surgical epidemiology is necessary for surgical health systems planning.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of surgical conditions in Burera District, Northern Province, Rwanda.

Maternal predictors of neonatal outcomes after emergency cesarean section: a retrospective study in three rural district hospitals in Rwanda.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, neonatal mortality post-cesarean delivery is higher than the global average. In this region, most emergency cesarean sections are performed at district hospitals. This study assesses maternal predictors for poor neonatal outcomes post-emergency cesarean delivery in three rural district hospitals in Rwanda.

Assessing the twinning model in the Rwandan Human Resources for Health Program: goal setting, satisfaction and perceived skill transfer.

Background: Because of the shortage of health professionals, particularly in specialty areas, Rwanda initiated the Human Resources for Health (HRH) Program. In this program, faculty from United States teaching institutions (USF) "twin" with Rwandan Faculty (RF) to transfer skills. This paper assesses the twinning model, exploring USF and RF goal setting, satisfaction and perceptions of the effectiveness of skill transfer within the twinning model.

Validation of a community-based survey assessing nonobstetric surgical conditions in Burera District, Rwanda.

Background: Validated, community-based surveillance methods to monitor epidemiologic progress in surgery have not yet been employed for surgical capacity building. The goal of this study was to create and assess the validity of a community-based questionnaire collecting data on untreated surgically correctable disease throughout Burera District, Rwanda, to accurately plan for surgical services at a district hospital.

Methods: A structured interview to assess for 10 index surgically treatable conditions was created and underwent local focus group and pilot testing.

Epidemiology of untreated non-obstetric surgical disease in Burera District, Rwanda: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: In low-income and middle-income countries, surgical epidemiology is largely undefined at the population level, with operative logs and hospital records serving as a proxy. This study assesses the distribution of surgical conditions that contribute the largest burden of surgical disease in Burera District, in northern Rwanda. We hypothesise that our results would yield higher rates of surgical disease than current estimates (from 2006) for similar low-income countries, which are 295 per 100 000 people.

Validation of a community-based survey assessing non-obstetric surgical conditions in Burera District, Rwanda.

Background: Community-based surveillance methods to monitor epidemiological progress in surgery have not yet been employed for surgical capacity building. The aim of this study was to create and assess the validity of a questionnaire that collected data for untreated surgically correctable diseases throughout Burera District, northern Rwanda, to accurately plan for surgical services.

Methods: A structured interview to assess for the presence or absence of ten index surgically treatable conditions (breast mass, cleft lip/palate, club foot, hernia or hydrocele [adult and paediatric]), hydrocephalus, hypospadias, injuries or wounds, neck mass, undescended testes, and vaginal fistula) was created.

Rwanda 20 years on: investing in life.

Two decades ago, the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda led to the deaths of 1 million people, and the displacement of millions more. Injury and trauma were followed by the effects of a devastated health system and economy. In the years that followed, a new course set by a new government set into motion equity-oriented national policies focusing on social cohesion and people-centred development.