The Cabinet approved 18 hectares for the campus on July 30, 2025, during a cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame.
In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Dr. Edgar Kalimba, Deputy CEO in Charge of Medical Services at King Faisal Hospital Rwanda (KFHR), detailed that the institution aims to transform healthcare not only in Rwanda but across Africa by training skilled professionals and reducing the need for patients to seek specialised care abroad.
'The land provided by the government will allow us to develop a comprehensive campus with all the facilities necessary for workforce training, research, and medical education,' Dr. Kalimba said.
Launched in September 2024 by KFHR in partnership with the Ministry of Health, AHSU is a key component of Rwanda's '4x4 reform' to quadruple its healthcare workforce, with a vision to serve the broader African region.
The university currently runs residency programs in six specialitiesâ€"paediatrics and child health, obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery, anesthesiology and critical care, emergency medicine and critical care, and internal medicineâ€"alongside a school of midwifery, offering a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Midwifery.
The first cohort, which began training in September 2024, is expected to graduate in 2028, producing roughly 60 specialists and 40 midwives.
The Rusororo campus, still in the strategic planning phase, will be a state-of-the-art facility designed to establish AHSU as a leading medical school for Africa.
'It's going to serve as an international medical school,' Dr. Kalimba emphasised. 'The ambition is to set a high standard, making it comprehensive with undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programs that attract students from across the region.'
Plans are underway to start additional master's degrees and introduce Ph.D. programs, including a combined medical and research degree (MBBS-PhD track) to train doctors who will lead medical research and teach future healthcare professionals.
The campus in Rusororo is expected to be operational within five years, according to Dr. Kalimba, and will complement KFHR's ongoing expansion, which aims to triple its capacity by early 2028. The expansion will introduce specialised services previously unavailable in Rwanda, reducing the need for patients to seek care elsewhere in East Africa.
To ensure sustainability and regional reach, AHSU is adopting a mixed funding model. Rwandan residents are sponsored but commit to five years of service in public and teaching hospitals under a Ministry of Health retention contract.
Meanwhile, AHSU is actively recruiting students from across the continent, with growing interest evident in application statistics.
'This is not just for Rwanda. It's an African medical school, and we want it to grow into a proper international institution,' Dr. Kalimba said.
International students will pay fees, ensuring long-term financial viability while training professionals who can elevate healthcare standards across the continent.
AHSU's impact is already taking shape through partnerships with level 2 teaching hospitals and district hospitals like Kibuye, Kibungo, Kacyiru, and Muhima, where 30 faculty specialists have been deployed to train residents and enhance care.
'This has reduced referrals to tertiary hospitals and improved patient care, creating a model that can be replicated regionally,' Dr. Kalimba explained.
Global collaborations with several institutions like the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and specialized hospitals in India and in other overseas centers are strengthening AHSU's programs, with residents gaining exposure through external rotations at advanced medical centres. These partnerships position AHSU to share expertise and resources with other African nations.
Despite the progress, Dr. Kalimba acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly in recruiting qualified faculty and developing infrastructure.
'Getting skilled personnel is a challenge everywhere,' he said, emphasising that training a medical specialist can take more than ten years, from undergraduate studies through postgraduate residency.
At the same time, Rwanda's growing population, with approximately 300,000 births annually, epidemiological shift of diseases and progressively higher demand on the healthcare providers underscores the urgency of closing the doctor-to-population gap (and healthcare provider-to population gap), which remains far below the World Health Organisation's recommended ratio of one doctor per 1,000 people.
Dr. Kalimba noted that support from the Government of Rwanda, along with the involvement of expatriate specialists, is helping to address these hurdles. Meanwhile, the KFHR expansion, scheduled for completion by late 2027 or early 2028, will provide a state-of-the-art environment for training and healthcare, benefiting both Rwanda and the wider region.
Dr. Kalimba envisions AHSU and KFHR as catalysts for making Rwanda a healthcare hub for Africa.
'Instead of people having to travel overseas from within African countries, why wouldn't they come to Rwanda and be given equally good services that they would get from elsewhere?" he asked.
By combining world-class infrastructure, comprehensive training, and a focus on research, the Rusororo campus aims to reduce reliance on overseas care, boost medical tourism, and train professionals who will serve across the continent.
As construction plans advance, AHSU is set to play a pivotal role in elevating healthcare standards in Rwanda and beyond, fulfilling a vision of regional excellence.
Watch the full interview below:
Wycliffe Nyamasege
