Microsoft co-founder and Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates has praised Rwanda’s progress in public health, calling for greater global investment to ensure proven health innovations reach the people who need them most.
Gates made the remarks Wednesday while visiting the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Butaro, where he joined First Lady Jeannette Kagame and global health leaders for the inaugural Paul E. Farmer Butaro Dialogues on Health Equity and Innovation.
The forum, organized by UGHE in partnership with the Consortium of Medical Schools–Africa (COMS-Africa) and the Gates Foundation, brought together researchers, policymakers, healthcare professionals, development partners and students to discuss ways of expanding access to quality healthcare, with a focus on maternal, newborn and child health.
Addressing participants, Gates said Rwanda’s experience demonstrates that sustained investment and innovation can significantly improve health outcomes.
He commended the country’s efforts to reduce maternal deaths and child mortality, noting that many effective health interventions already exist but often fail to reach the communities that need them because they are not implemented at scale.
During his visit, Gates also paid tribute to the late Dr. Paul Farmer, the physician and global health pioneer who founded UGHE and died in 2022.
“I want to honor the legacy of the man who helped build this place, my dear friend Paul Farmer,” Gates said. “I had the opportunity to visit Paul’s grave here at UGHE and plant a tree at his memorial. As I stood there, I remembered my remarkable first journey to Rwanda.”
He said Farmer’s vision continues to inspire efforts to improve healthcare delivery around the world.
The dialogue’s opening session focused on closing the gap between health innovations that have already proved effective and their implementation, particularly in maternal, newborn and child healthcare.
Health experts attending the conference said reducing maternal and child deaths depends not only on scientific breakthroughs but also on expanding access to proven interventions, ensuring sustainable financing and strengthening health systems.
According to Rwanda’s latest health data, 95% of deliveries take place in health facilities. The country’s maternal mortality ratio stands at 203 deaths per 100,000 live births, while neonatal mortality is 19 deaths per 1,000 live births. Under-five mortality is 45 deaths per 1,000 live births, and infant mortality is 33 deaths per 1,000 live births.
UGHE Vice Chancellor Prof. Philip Cotton urged governments, donors and development partners to match their commitments with increased investment in healthcare.
“Today, we call on the global health community to examine the gap between what we claim to value and what we actually invest in, and then work together to close that gap,” Cotton said.
Founded in 2015, UGHE operates campuses in Kigali and Butaro. Its Kigali campus offers postgraduate programs in Global Health Delivery, while the Butaro campus, inaugurated by President Paul Kagame in 2019, serves as a center for medical education, research and innovation.
The Paul E. Farmer Butaro Dialogues are intended to become an annual platform bringing together global health leaders, researchers, universities, governments and young innovators to develop practical solutions for improving health equity in Africa and beyond.
