A cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on Monday appointed Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana as the new Director-General of the Rwanda Biomedical Council (RBC) to replace Prof. Jeanine Condo, who has held the body’s leadership since February 2016.
Prior to the appointment, Dr. Nsanzimana served as Director of Rwanda’s National HIV Program and Division Manager for HIV / AIDS and Viral Hepatitis at the Institute for HIV Disease Prevention and Control at RBC.
Dr. Nsanzimana has been working on the domestic HIV program for over a century, becoming one of the senior clinicians with expertise in HIV program design, strategic planning, execution, and operational study with a focus on worldwide care and therapy of HIV-affected individuals.
For several major study initiatives in Rwanda, including clinical trials and multi-country research alliances, he also earlier worked as a principal investigator.
RBC is the Ministry of Health’s execution organization with a mandate to implement preventive, promotional and curative health interventions covering communicable and non-communicable diseases.
The appointment arrives at a moment when the nation is on the alert for any possible Ebola epidemic as the lethal virus continues to wreak havoc on the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The body is also responsible for ensuring the distribution of blood and blood products throughout the nation, ensuring the quality and amount of drug and other health commodities procurement and manufacturing, buying and keeping all medical equipment at all public health centres.
Considered one of the country’s main organizations, RBC also includes the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) Medical Research Center (MRC), a basis for the creation of evidence-based strategies to promote nation health interventions.
The senior physician holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Rwanda and a PhD in Epidemiology from the Basel Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Swiss Institute of Tropical and Public Health, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Dr. Nsanzimana is a fellow at the African Scientific Institute and serves as a faculty member at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE),“The HIV Program Scale-Up in Rwanda: 20 years of Experience”.
Dr. Usta Kayitesi was also confirmed by the cabinet meeting at Village Urugwiro as Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), where she will be assisted by Dr. Emmanuel Nibishaka.
Since October last year, Dr. Kayitesi has served as Acting CEO, having taken over from Prof. Anastase Shyaka, the present Local Government Minister. Prior to that, she had relocated from the University of Rwanda as Deputy CEO since February 2017.
Dr. Nibishaka has served as the Secretary General of the National Human Rights Commission of Rwanda since September 2017 until his appointment. He previously served as First Counselor at the United Nations ‘ Permanent Mission in Rwanda from 2013.
Prior to being elevated to the role of Acting CEO, Dr. Kayitesi occupied the role. She had replaced Amb. Fatuma Ndangiza in February 2017.
The Cabinet endorsed the draft law creating the Rwanda Water Resources Board in other remarkable choices, a new body with a mandate to guarantee adequate coordination and effective water resource management.
Similarly the Cabinet approved the draft law establishing Rwanda Forestry Authority which will ensure proper management of forestry resources.
The creation of the two bodies comes months after the disbandment of the new Ministry of Lands and Forestry (MINILAF) which lasted just over a year and the restructuring of the former Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environment (MINIRENA) to the current Ministry of Environment.
It is not yet clear if the confirmation of the two bodies will disband the already existing Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority (RWFA).
Among other key decisions, the cabinet approved the draft law amending the law governing persons and family to facilitate better services of civil registration.
The Cabinet session was briefed on the need for additional sources to fund the Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme
In other surprise appointments, Claudine Nyinawagaga, the former Mayor of Gasabo until 2014 bounced back as the Director General of Local Administration Development Agency (LODA).
Similarly, the former State Minister for Education Olivier Rwamukwaya bounced back but not in the cabinet.
He will replace Dr Nibishaka at the National Human Rights Commission as the Secretary General.
