Tag: Rwanda

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Featured Work - Awareness & Advocacy

FIND and Unitaid invest US$2 million to support advocacy for COVID-19 test-and-treat approaches in low- and middle-income countries

FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics and Unitaid are investing US$2 million in a coordinated advocacy programme spanning 19 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) designed to boost access and uptake of COVID-19 tests and treatments. A total of 21 organizations with a diverse range of healthcare expertise have been selected from more than 300 applicants, following a request for proposals (RFP) and competitive selection process that included assessment by a panel of independent reviewers. Criteria for funding included previous public health advocacy experience and expected impact of test-and-treat advocacy in the targeted region.

Projects range in duration from 6 to 18 months, and will raise awareness of COVID-19 testing and treatment among the public, key opinion leaders, and specific high-risk and vulnerable groups. Partners include (listed alphabetically by country): Mhair Educational, Health and Human Rights Organization (Afghanistan), Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (Bangladesh), IMAG Communication (Burkina Faso), Maison des Associations de lutte contre le Sida (Burkina Faso), Health Poverty Action Cambodia (Cambodia), Caritas Développement Mbujimayi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), TB Alert India (India), Pi Consulting (India), Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium (Kenya), Health Poverty Action Laos (Laos), Caritas Lesotho (Lesotho), ESTAMOS (Mozambique), REDTRANS (Nicaragua), Shifa Foundation (Pakistan), Media for Deaf Rwanda (Rwanda), South Sudan Community Change Agency (South Sudan), Sikika (Tanzania), Université Mahmoud El Materi (Tunisia), HEPS (Uganda), Zambia Interfaith Working Group (Zambia), Pan-African Treatment Access Movement (Zimbabwe).

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Add Resources - Scaling Up & Sustainability

CHAI-FIND project to improve COVID-19 diagnostic data systems

Street scene outside the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, Delhi.December 2017Photo credit: FIND / Ben Phillips

This training report outlines a project to improve COVID-19 diagnostic data systems, first in Rwanda and later in Ecuador, by the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) project and FIND. 

The project had three main workstreams:

  • Developing an analytical system
  • Integrating COVID-19 data systems with other relevant data systems
  • Upgrading and optimizing the COVID-19 data system.


The training report is geared to improve diagnostic data systems and automate approaches that were previously manual. 

The activity aimed to train programme staff and other COVID-19 data users involved in data management in health facilities. 

For those involved in the training, management and analysis of COVID-19 data has improved. The system is capable of inter-operating with other systems, leveraging COVID-19 data more effectively, and handling large amounts of data from multiple sources. 

The Rwanda Ministry of Health, in conjunction with CHAI-FIND and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, has released a step-by-step guide to the training.

Read more here

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Add Resources - Scaling Up & Sustainability

Rwanda study shows community health workers support digital tools and RDTs for COVID-19 testing

This Rwanda Biomedical Centre presentation, part of the second International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2022), assessed aspects of SARS-CoV-2 testing in Rwanda.

The study aimed specifically to evaluate how community health workers (CHWs) used antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag RDTs) alongside a clinical screening digital tool (e-ASCOV) at household level to test for COVID-19 at household level.

It selected 800 CHWs across eight districts in Rwanda to participate, asking them how they perceived their role in delivering care, as well as the experience of the clients.

Most participants (83.4%) reported that the e-ASCOV app was easy to use. Most (89.6%) also reported that nasal RDT was easy to administer, and the results easy to read.

Key findings

All the CHWs supported the use of digital tools and RDTs for COVID-19 testing. Most participants (83.4%) reported that the e-ASCOV app was easy to use. Most (89.6%) also reported that nasal RDT was easy to administer, and the results easy to read.

These results highlight that it is possible to implement COVID-19 testing at household-level, to support community-based surveillance for early case detection and management.

The study showed the potential to use similar digital tools for other diseases to support healthcare services delivery closer to the community, and for evidence-based decision making.

It also suggests that the programme needs to be scaled up to train other CHWs and extend the e-ASCov to malaria, TB, and other diseases.

Read more here

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Resource Centre - Publications

The Impact of COVID-19 On HIV, TB And Malaria Services and Systems For Health: A Snapshot from 502 Health Facilities across Africa and Asia

The impact of COVID-19 on HIV, TB and Malaria Services and Systems for Health: A snapshot from 502 health facilities across Africa and Asia.

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