Rwanda is using a nationwide network of more than 54,000 community health workers and interconnected digital medical records to identify high-risk pregnancies earlier, contributing to a 30% reduction in maternal mortality over the past two years, according to the Ministry of Health.
Minister of State for Health Dr Yvan Butera said the digital system is helping connect information collected in communities with health centres, hospitals and specialists, allowing health workers to detect warning signs before complications become life-threatening.
“Since we have our electronic medical records that are interconnected,” Butera said, health facilities can access information collected by community health workers and hospitals can identify women whose pregnancies require closer monitoring.
The system enables community health workers to use smartphones to record patient information, follow up on cases and flag risks involving pregnant women and children.
Rwanda’s wider progress in maternal health has also been significant. The maternal mortality ratio fell from 1,071 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 203 in 2020 and further to 149 in 2025, representing an 86.1% decline over 25 years.
Butera said the focus is now increasingly shifting from treating complications after they occur to identifying women at risk early enough for health facilities to prepare.
Health centres have also been equipped with ultrasound machines, while information on conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes is incorporated into care planning.
Virtual hospital expands specialist support
Rwanda is also using a virtual hospital to connect district hospitals with specialist doctors, including during complex procedures.
The system allows specialists to remotely support doctors working in district hospitals, with virtual-reality technology enabling them to observe procedures and provide guidance.
Butera said the programme has already helped save about 15 mothers who were considered “near misses.”
The government expects the virtual hospital and other interventions to contribute to a further 30% reduction in maternal mortality over the next year.
The minister said the broader objective is to use technology to make health services more responsive and ensure that risks are detected before they become emergencies.
“We want impact so that people’s lives are saved, are changed, they live longer and healthier,” Butera said.
The digital health drive is part of Rwanda’s wider effort to connect health facilities, laboratories, community workers and national decision-makers through a unified health intelligence system.
The National Health Intelligence Centre, established a year ago, brings together health data to support decision-making and provide healthcare workers with timely information.
As the Africa HealthTech Summit continues in Kigali through October 2, discussions are focusing on how African countries can move digital health innovations beyond pilot projects and scale them across national health systems.
