This article is part of Devex's Healthy Access series

This means that trainee health professionals will then enter the workplace with a baseline of ultrasound knowledge.

Committing to scale

A lack of local trainers to facilitate the implementation of ultrasound programs countrywide can be a challenge. PURE’s goal is for those who have been trained in Rwanda to take on the roles of in-country mentors, using Reacts as an aid, building local capacity, and making the program more sustainable.
 
As a resident coordinator for the PURE mentorship program, Ndebwanimana is one such local mentor to 10 mentees. He is still able to tap into Reacts for any support he may need himself.
 
While the training and mentorship programs are still in the pilot phase, Rwanda’s Ministry of Health says it recognizes ultrasound as a core pillar of emergency medicine and, alongside the Ministry of Education, plans to integrate the training into the academic system.

PURE also plans to support further roll out point-of-care ultrasound use in departments outside of emergency medicine, including surgical, internal medicine, and pediatrics.
 
For other countries looking to replicate the model, Mbanjumucyo said a government commitment — like that of Rwanda’s — to provide equipment and incorporate its training into an education system via a university and residency program, is the first step in integrating technology, such as Lumify and Reacts.
 
But local context must be considered, Mbanjumucyo warned. “We have different resources, different populations, different cultures — people forget culture, but culture is something really important. What you are lacking in Rwanda is not necessarily what you are lacking in Nigeria, in Kenya, in Uganda, Burundi.”
 
There is still a lot that other countries can learn about Rwanda’s approach to health care, and one part is its rolling out of digital health, Rulisa said. “If you have IT technologies to link up with the specialists all over [the world] it would have a huge impact on our health care,” he said.

PURE also plans to support further roll out point-of-care ultrasound use in departments outside of emergency medicine, including surgical, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

For other countries looking to replicate the model, Mbanjumucyo said a government commitment — like that of Rwanda’s — to provide equipment and incorporate its training into an education system via a university and residency program, is the first step in integrating technology, such as Lumify and Reacts.

But local context must be considered, Mbanjumucyo warned. “We have different resources, different populations, different cultures — people forget culture, but culture is something really important. What you are lacking in Rwanda is not necessarily what you are lacking in Nigeria, in Kenya, in Uganda, Burundi.”

There is still a lot that other countries can learn about Rwanda’s approach to health care, and one part is its rolling out of digital health, Rulisa said. “If you have IT technologies to link up with the specialists all over [the world] it would have a huge impact on our health care,” he said.