Category: English News

Eastern Province: Persons with disabilities call for inclusiveness

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The 14th general assembly of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities in the Eastern Province convened on March 17 and discussed various initiatives to promote inclusiveness for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the province, and asses the achievements of set targets. The assembly disclosed that more than 100,000 PwDs are presently enrolled in the Eastern Province, with Nyagatare at 20,631, Bugesera at 17,019, Gatsibo at 16,420, Kayonza at 14,937, Kirehe at 14,230, Ngoma at 13,165, and Rwamagana at 13,003 PwDs documented. According to officials, these figures highlight the importance…

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Antenatal depression: Why pregnant women need support

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Antenatal depression, also known as depression during pregnancy, is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition for women. Symptoms may include sadness, sleep problems, fatigue, appetite changes, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Worldwide, about 10 per cent of pregnant women and 13 per cent of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression. In developing countries, this is even higher, for example, 15.6 per cent during pregnancy and 19.8 per cent after childbirth. In severe cases, mothers’ suffering might be so severe that they may even commit suicide, according to…

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Public transport fares to increase after govt scraps subsidies

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Passengers who use public transport, will on March 16, 2024, start paying an increased amount in fares after the government scrapped subsidies in the sector. The government, in October 2020, opted to subsidise one-third of the fare for passengers amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. With the subsidies scrapped, “commuters will notice an increase in fares,” Minister of Infrastructure, Jimmy Gasore. For instance, if a person had to pay Rwf 3,000 from Kigali to Musanze, they only paid Rwf 2,000 while the government covered the remaining Rwf 1,000. The government was subsidising public…

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Single-use plastics: Environmentalists seek solutions for imported good

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As Rwanda continues with its ambitious efforts to phase out single-use plastics, environmentalists have pointed out some key challenges, one of which is imported goods packaged in single-use plastics. In 2019, the country’s parliament passed a law prohibiting the manufacture, importation, use and sale of single-use plastic items in Rwanda, including plastic bags, cups, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles, and most food packaging materials. Since then, both the private and public sectors have been working to implement the law through activities including the establishment of companies that manufacture…

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Minister Kabarebe urges Rwandan parents abroad to teach children Kinyarwanda

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The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Cooperation, Gen (Rtd) James Kabarebe has urged Rwandan parents living abroad to teach their children Kinyarwanda and consider bringing them to visit their motherland. Speaking at a hybrid event celebrating International Mother Language Day for Rwandans in the diaspora on March 2, he emphasised that the connection would help them appreciate the country, its beauty, and its people, and understand true values compared to their current places of residence. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of…

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Majchrzak wins Rwanda Challenger 1 title

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Kamil Majchrzak on Saturday, March 2, won the first week of the Rwanda Challenger 50 Tour tournament after beating Marco Trungelliti 6-4, 6-4 in the final held at Kigali Ecology Tennis Club. It is a fifth ATP Challenger title for the 28-year-old Pole and his first major trophy since returning to the Tour at the start of 2024 after serving a 13-month ban for alleged doping. Meanwhile, defeat for Argentine Trungelliti, means he takes his wait for a third ATP Challenger title into Week 2 of Rwanda Challenger, which begins…

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Elevating midwifery: A transformative journey to reach zero preventable maternal deaths in Rwanda

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Rwanda has undergone a remarkable journey in tackling maternal mortality rates (MMR) over the past decade. From an alarming 1,071 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010, the country managed to accelerate reduction reaching 210 in 2015. but in recent years the decline has been slower with MMR standing at 203 per 100,000 live births in 2020, showing a limited decline of only seven data points over five years. With Rwanda currently operating at a ratio of one skilled health professional per 1,000 people, below the WHO recommended minimum…

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Rwanda finally passes law on GMO: What next?

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Rwanda, on February 21, published in its Official Gazette a law governing biosafety, which seeks to ensure that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are handled, transferred and used safely in the country. According to the purpose of the law, it establishes an adequate level of protection in the field of the safe transfer and use of living modified organisms ((LMOs) – also known as GMOs – resulting from modern biotechnology that may have an adverse effect on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity while taking into consideration the effect of…

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Rwanda to France: DR Congo crisis can be over if ‘real issues’ are addressed

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The Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo, has responded to the accusations by France that Rwanda supports M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo. In a post on social media platform X, Makolo said on Tuesday, February 20, the French government was in position to know that a solution to the conflict in eastern DR Congo would be found if the root causes were addressed. “No one knows more about the root causes and history of the conflict in eastern DRC than France,” Makolo said. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of supporting…

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President Kagame in Addis Ababa for AU Summit

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President Paul Kagame has arrived in Addis Ababa where he joins other Heads of State and Government from across the continent for the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union. President Kagame will present a progress report on African Union reforms as the leader of the AU Institutional Reforms mandated by the Heads of State and Government of the Union. In the eight years since the start of the reforms, the revamped Peace Fund now stands close to $400 million…

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