Rwanda: Family Planning Policy 2012

In the last five years, Rwanda has witnessed unprecedented improvement in many health outcomes, including those related to family planning (FP). This was largely a result of the government’s commitment to achieving both national and international objectives. The Ministry of Health (MoH) is continuing to pioneer major health system reforms. In collaboration with development partners, the MoH has invested in innovative interventions within an increasingly decentralized health care delivery system. The international scientific and medical community recognizes that excellent improvements have been achieved in Rwanda in infant and child survival, maternal health, and HIV, TB, and malaria outcomes. Contributing to this are Rwanda’s community health insurance scheme known as “mutuelles de santé,” infrastructural developments, and FP-related outcomes such as improved modern FP uptake. The number of trained medical personnel has steadily risen, and their motivation and retention within the health care system has been addressed through unique interventions such as performance-based financing.