Rwanda and Switzerland are exploring ways to strengthen cooperation in healthcare, with discussions focusing on digital health, health workforce development, epidemic preparedness, research and life sciences.
The discussions took place in Bern during the first day of Rwanda’s Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana’s working visit to Switzerland, where he and Rwanda Development Board Deputy CEO Juliana Muganza met with Swiss Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, who heads Switzerland’s Federal Department of Home Affairs and oversees the federal health portfolio.
The meeting comes as countries in the region continue to strengthen preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks. Switzerland has also increased its support for efforts to control the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the wider region.
The two sides highlighted the importance of early prevention and rapid response by health authorities, as well as the growing role of digital technology and reliable health data in strengthening health systems and responding to health emergencies.
Rwanda has been expanding the use of digital systems in healthcare. Its Ministry of Health launched the Health Intelligence Center in 2025 to collect and analyse real-time data across the health system, including information linked to disease prevention, outbreak control and emergency response.
Rwanda’s current Health Sector Strategic Plan also identifies health security and public health emergency management, research and innovation, and digitalisation among the sector’s key priorities.
The discussions in Bern are expected to support continued collaboration between the two countries, particularly in strengthening health systems, developing the health workforce and improving preparedness for future public health emergencies.
