Hydro power lines to be installed on all major roads in the country starting January; Electrogaz
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Large parts of rural Rwanda will also soon be lighting with electricity if the words of John Mirenge the Director General of Electorgaz, the national corporation charged with power distribution in the country are to be believed.
Speaking to the press on Monday in his office, Mirenge said, "from the beginning of 2009 we shall be able to connect power supply lines on all the main roads connecting major urban centres across the country." He said this was the medium term solution for Rwanda's alarming energy costs and erratic connection.
Mirenge said government had earmarked 8 mini hydro electricity projects and construction works were already underway for some while many will start in January 2009. Tenders for the construction of mini hydro projects in Ngororero, Gisagara, Nyaruguru, Bugesera, Byumba and two in the Eastern Province. Many of the projects will be functional by the end of next year.
Mirenge said that government's ambitious rural electrification programme will also be boosted greatly, "we are coordinating a project with the Ministry of Infrastructure and donors to have electricity footprints in all rural areas in the country beginning with the new year."
The national electricity extension programme especially in rural areas is being funded by the European Union and analysts say that once the new projects are completed government will be able to achieve its target of increasing access to electricity from the current 108,000 homesteads to increasing access to 16 percent of the population by 2012. He added that by the same time there will be 30 hydro projects in rural areas to increase connectivity.
Only a tiny fraction of the population remains connected to electricity and this is the leading challenge to policy makers in the country as the limited coverage of electricity supply lines hinder economic activities and investments in many areas. The government has adopted several alternatives to find solutions to energy, these include the establishment of the Institute for Scientific Research and Technology (IRST) extends its biogas development project, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency RURA and conceited efforts in delivering the promise of massive methane gas depots in Lake Kivu in the Western Province.
The prospects and challenges of hydro electricity production in Central Africa are troublesome in equal measure, with DR Congo unstable politically, work on the Grand Inga Dam project set to be begin in 2010 is in doubt as the DRC remains insecure. The USD. 80bn has been hailed as a final solution to all energy requirements in the region and Africa at large.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Private ARVs too expensive; PLWH
Private ARVs too expensive; PLWH
BY GEORGE KAGAME
People Living with HIV/Aids-PLWH-are not happy with the high cost of Anti Retroviral drugs on the private market as Rwanda joins the world to celebrate great achievements in the fight against HIV/Aids. "It costs too high for me, and sometimes i need supplements on the free dose provided by government" said Giles Rubaara, a PLWH in Kigali on 1 December, as the world celebrated the United Nations' day to observe and raise awareness to HIV/Aids.
Rubaara, a resident of Gikondo said that he would prefer to purchase the ARVs supplied on the private market instead of the freely offered ARVs by government in public health centres. He has been living with HIV/Aids for the past six years.
Speaking to the press on Monday, Fulgence Kamari the Communications Officer of the National Commission for the Prevention of HIV/Aids-CNLS said government established 345 health centres across the country in which free ARVs are given public health centres spread across the country, he said that for all Rwandans that have tested positive for HIV, the treatment is free and added that so far only 42 percent of the population in the country have tested for HIV. He added that some people opt for the original ARVs and, "it should be noted that there are enough ARVs given free of charge for Rwandans that come forward to test."
The government through the Aids Research and Treatment Centre-TRAC and funding from Global Fund and US President's emergency plan to prevent Aids provide free ARVs to people that test positive for HIV the virus that causes Aids. However the ARVs supplied by government are World Health Organization recommended duplicates of original ARVs. The originals are too expensive to be offered for free and so they are sold on the private market at Frw 400,000 per year, a price many victims of Aids find too high to afford. Most expenditure on Aids in the country goes to the purchase of ARVs and other medicines for PLWH, Kamari said.
Kamari said that Rwanda had not organized any special ceremonies to commemorate the 2008 world Aids day saying that CNLS had already events earlier to mark the day. "three years ago we adopted a programme whereby we hold our world Aids day on the last saturday of the month of November when all the people are participating in the mandatory public service works-Umuganda. Here we have a chance to to sensitize people about HIV and encourage them to come forward for voluntary testing and counseling."
Commenting on the significance of World Aids day, World Bank Senior Health Specialist Miriam Schneidman said that in Rwanda there has been a “massive increase in the number of people that have come to be tested, and as access to AIDS treatment has scaled up people have become more accepting of those living with AIDS,” While access to antiretroviral treatment has improved markedly, now reaching about 30 percent of those who need it." She however added there was more effort needed to increase ARV supply to all the people that need it. Schneidman said that to celebrate the 2008 many events have been organized to highlight the importance of the fight these include the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, taking place in Senegal, December 3-7.
The World Bank through its Multi Country Approach programme-MAP and US international Aid Development agency-USAID are among the leading financiers of the fight against HIV/Aids.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
People Living with HIV/Aids-PLWH-are not happy with the high cost of Anti Retroviral drugs on the private market as Rwanda joins the world to celebrate great achievements in the fight against HIV/Aids. "It costs too high for me, and sometimes i need supplements on the free dose provided by government" said Giles Rubaara, a PLWH in Kigali on 1 December, as the world celebrated the United Nations' day to observe and raise awareness to HIV/Aids.
Rubaara, a resident of Gikondo said that he would prefer to purchase the ARVs supplied on the private market instead of the freely offered ARVs by government in public health centres. He has been living with HIV/Aids for the past six years.
Speaking to the press on Monday, Fulgence Kamari the Communications Officer of the National Commission for the Prevention of HIV/Aids-CNLS said government established 345 health centres across the country in which free ARVs are given public health centres spread across the country, he said that for all Rwandans that have tested positive for HIV, the treatment is free and added that so far only 42 percent of the population in the country have tested for HIV. He added that some people opt for the original ARVs and, "it should be noted that there are enough ARVs given free of charge for Rwandans that come forward to test."
The government through the Aids Research and Treatment Centre-TRAC and funding from Global Fund and US President's emergency plan to prevent Aids provide free ARVs to people that test positive for HIV the virus that causes Aids. However the ARVs supplied by government are World Health Organization recommended duplicates of original ARVs. The originals are too expensive to be offered for free and so they are sold on the private market at Frw 400,000 per year, a price many victims of Aids find too high to afford. Most expenditure on Aids in the country goes to the purchase of ARVs and other medicines for PLWH, Kamari said.
Kamari said that Rwanda had not organized any special ceremonies to commemorate the 2008 world Aids day saying that CNLS had already events earlier to mark the day. "three years ago we adopted a programme whereby we hold our world Aids day on the last saturday of the month of November when all the people are participating in the mandatory public service works-Umuganda. Here we have a chance to to sensitize people about HIV and encourage them to come forward for voluntary testing and counseling."
Commenting on the significance of World Aids day, World Bank Senior Health Specialist Miriam Schneidman said that in Rwanda there has been a “massive increase in the number of people that have come to be tested, and as access to AIDS treatment has scaled up people have become more accepting of those living with AIDS,” While access to antiretroviral treatment has improved markedly, now reaching about 30 percent of those who need it." She however added there was more effort needed to increase ARV supply to all the people that need it. Schneidman said that to celebrate the 2008 many events have been organized to highlight the importance of the fight these include the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, taking place in Senegal, December 3-7.
The World Bank through its Multi Country Approach programme-MAP and US international Aid Development agency-USAID are among the leading financiers of the fight against HIV/Aids.
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