KFH- Rwanda hosts inaugural research day to stimulate competitive health research projects in the country

RWANDA – The King Faisal Hospital, has awarded three researchers in its inaugural Research Day that seeks to bring impactful and innovative solutions in the Rwanda healthcare sector. 

The Research Day will be organized every six months and its first three recipients were picked from among 50 who presented their health care innovations. 

They include Dr. Edgar Kalimba who is carrying out research on resistance to malaria, Professor Jacob Souopgui who is also conducting research on malaria, and Emmanuel Barutwanayo with research on family-centered maternity care.

Other submissions were drawn from epilepsy, cancer, family planning, contraceptives, low back pain, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction among people with diabetes, safe abortion, sexual reproductive, gender, and childbirth among others.

Dr. Augustin Sendegeya, the Chief Medical Officer at King Faisal Hospital, said the hospital facilitated the researchers in conducting their studies.

“The Research Day was organized to showcase the findings of studies to share experience and knowledge to be able to respond to problems and make decisions in improving healthcare,” Dr. Sendegeya said.

Dr. Richard Nduwayezu, the Director of Research at King Faisal Hospital, said most of the studies at the hospital are focused on internal medicine (45 percent), surgery, pediatrics, and laboratory among others.

“We have been providing internal grants since 2021 thanks to the support of the King Faisal Foundation to those interested in conducting research at the hospital. We have so far funded 25 projects,” Dr. Nduwayezu said.

Kalimba, a pediatrician at King Faisal Hospital who was awarded as the best researcher on malaria, said bringing together researchers to exchange ideas and experience could improve medical care in Rwanda.

“There can’t be development in health care without research development. Research helps to study and understand diseases, discover drugs and technologies to treat such diseases,” reiterated the pediatrician.

Dieudonné Kwizera Munana who conducted research on diabetes said artificial intelligence or machine learning will help detect and track diabetes to be able to cope with the non-communicable disease.

Dr. Munana acknowledged the research day’s effort and said, “I worked with the department in charge of non-communicable diseases at King Faisal to get data for my research. The support was helpful and research day was a great opportunity to share ideas.”

Dr. Menelas Nkeshimana, the head of the workforce development department at the Ministry of Health, said that the initiative would help showcase research by medical doctors will guide decision-making in the health sector.

“The studies were on different diseases which need urgent action. Bringing together researchers will help share experience and knowledge in improving health care in Rwanda,” Dr. Nkeshimana said.

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