Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame and Bill Gates on Wednesday joined global health leaders, researchers, policymakers, and innovators at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) for the inaugural Paul E. Farmer Butaro Dialogues on Health Equity and Innovation.
Hosted by UGHE and the Consortium of Medical Schools–Africa (COMS-A), in partnership with the Gates Foundation, the forum honors the legacy of the late Dr. Paul Farmer, whose belief that “The world will not change until we change it” continues to shape efforts to deliver quality healthcare to the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Designed as a biennial platform, the Butaro Dialogues brings together global health experts, investors, African academic institutions, innovators, and the next generation of health professionals to translate research, scientific discoveries, and innovative ideas into practical solutions that improve lives.
The inaugural edition centered on one of the most urgent challenges in global health: bridging the gap between proven medical innovations and their implementation in maternal and newborn healthcare.
Participants explored how stronger health systems, digital technologies, locally driven research, and cross-sector partnerships can ensure lifesaving interventions reach mothers and babies who need them most.
Bill Gates’ participation underscored the Gates Foundation’s longstanding partnership with Rwanda in strengthening healthcare systems, advancing digital health, expanding access to primary healthcare, supporting vaccine manufacturing, and investing in locally led innovation.
The Butaro Dialogues marked another major engagement during Gates’ visit to Rwanda, which has focused on health and technology.
Earlier, he met President Paul Kagame to discuss expanding collaboration in health, agricultural transformation, artificial intelligence, and digital public infrastructure.
He also visited the National Health Intelligence Center (NHIC), toured Irembo Campus to explore AI-enabled public services, met Community Health Workers in Mwulire, and visited Mwulire Health Center and the TKMD syringe manufacturing plant.
Together, those engagements reflect Rwanda’s ambition to position itself as a leader in digital transformation and health innovation, while using partnerships with global institutions to develop solutions that can be scaled across Africa and beyond.
