The Head of State was speaking at the inauguration of the World Health Organization (WHO) Academy on Tuesday, 17 December 2024 at the WHO Academy campus in Lyon, France.
This hybrid event brought together WHO Member States and local, national, and international partners to highlight the importance of lifelong learning in the health sector and provide an opportunity to experience the Campus facilities in action.
In his remarks, President Kagame expressed gratitude to the WHO and its Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for this significant milestone, emphasizing the importance of the WHO Academy in enhancing global health education.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed critical gaps in health systems worldwide, particularly in Africa.
President Kagame acknowledged that the ongoing health challenges make it necessary to focus on advancing science, technology, and learning opportunities for health professionals.
'The COVID pandemic showed us the importance of training Africa's health workforce. New health challenges have continued to arise since then,' he remarked, underlining the growing need for skilled healthcare workers to respond to emerging threats.
He went on to highlight Rwanda's ambitious goal of quadrupling its health workforce in the next four years, noting that the WHO Academy will be key in achieving this target.
'The WHO Academy will be instrumental in helping us achieve this objective and we intend to make full use of it,' he said, signaling Rwanda's strong commitment to harnessing the Academy's resources for the benefit of its health sector.
The Government of Rwanda has set a target to expand the healthcare workforce through the 4x4 program, aiming to increase the number of healthcare workers from over 25,000 in July 2024 to more than 58,000 by 2028.
This initiative will improve the doctor-patient ratio, with one doctor serving 1,000 patients, compared to the current ratio where one doctor is responsible for a significantly larger population.
President Kagame also emphasized the importance of international partnerships to build sustainable health systems.
'We owe it to our people to deliver consistent, affordable, high-quality healthcare,' he said, adding that Rwanda is eager to benefit from knowledge transfer in fields like biotechnology.
The WHO Academy aims to help Member States address critical gaps in health workforce training by leveraging new technologies and applying the latest advancements in adult learning.
The Academy will offer high-quality courses to health and care workers, decision-makers and the WHO workforce, both online and in-person.
Located in the bio-district of Gerland in Lyon and funded by France, the WHO Academy Campus is an eco-friendly facility designed to foster innovation and collaboration.
It features a world-class simulation centre and will serve as a hub for learners, trainers, academics, and researchers from around the globe.
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