Joint external evaluation of the International Health Regulations (2005) core capacities of Rwanda: mission report, 24-30 May 2025

Overview

In May 2025, Rwanda conducted its second Joint External Evaluation (JEE), following its initial JEE in 2017. The country’s JEE, conducted as part of the voluntary external assessment process, evaluated the level of attainment of International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) core capacities across prevention, detection, response and enabling functions using the third edition of the JEE tool. Rwanda has demonstrated strong political commitment and significant progress in implementing the IHR 2005, which provide a framework for strengthening national and global public health security.

The evaluation noted multiple areas of strength and identified critical areas for improvement. Rwanda’s public health emergency preparedness and response efforts benefit from a well-established institutional framework, coordinated under the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC). A designated National Focal Point and focal persons in key sectors are identified. The Health Intelligence Centre located at the Ministry of Health, and the Rwanda Health Communication Centre provide vital support in data analysis and risk communication, respectively.

The country also maintains a strong electronic surveillance system, integrating event-based surveillance and indicator-based surveillance, from national to community levels, with active engagement of community health workers and community animal health workers