Kigali: President Kagame today joins other Heads of State and Government as well as Heads of Delegations from across the world for a High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Care and the United Nations Climate Action Summit. Both meetings precede the 74th United Nations General Assembly – General Debate scheduled for tomorrow.
Themed “Universal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World”, the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Care brings together Heads of State, political and health leaders, policy-makers, and universal health coverage champions to advocate for health for all.
The UN Climate Action Summit brings together governments, the private sector, civil society, local authorities and other international organizations to develop ambitious solutions in six areas: a global transition to renewable energy; sustainable and resilient infrastructures and cities; sustainable agriculture and management of forests and oceans; resilience and adaptation to climate impacts; and alignment of public and private finance with a net-zero economy.
Rwanda as a leader in Universal Health Coverage:
• A combination of community-based health insurance, community health workers, and good external partnerships led to the steepest reductions in child and maternal mortality ever recorded. Infant mortality has reduced to 28.9 deaths per 1000 live births in 2017 down from 107.7 deaths in 2000 (World Bank Statistics)
• Rwanda national health insurance program covers nearly 90 percent of Rwandans, and tens of thousands of Community Health Workers are deployed across the country. This has contributed to an 80 percent reduction in maternal health mortality and a 70 percent reduction in infant and child mortality since the year 2000.
Rwanda – Climate Change:
• Rwanda has been recognized for its leading role in implementing the Montreal Protocol, exceeding targets and beating deadlines set under the treaty. This includes achieving zero use of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon substances by 2010, one year before the set deadline.
• Rwanda has committed to do away with all ozone-depleting substances and uphold the Montreal Protocol’s success in protecting the ozone layer. (End)