60s

Patients pay user fees for health care services, with a price increase in the early 1990s.

94

Genocide. Depletion of infrastructure and health care workers. Health care becomes free, mainly provided by NGOs.

97

User fees progressively re-introduced in 1997, resulting in drop in the utilization of health facilities. Donors’ assistance to the health sector progressively decreases.

98

Ministry of Health receives help from USAID to improve financial access to health care through health insurance.

99

Government tackles affordability of care by introducing a community-based insurance scheme, or CBHI.

06

CBHI becomes compulsory, later enshrined in the 2007 CBHI Law.

13

Right to good health is included as a human right in Rwanda’s constitution.

16

CBHI covers 81% of the population according to 2016 figures, and has the highest health insurance enrollment in sub-Saharan Africa.