Bilharzia Storytelling Initiative

We’re honored to show the world that youth power is showing up big time 🌍 In Bugesera and Ruhango districts, with partners like @RBCRwanda , @RwandaNGOForum, @Knooliet @ALMA_2030, and others. young people are boldly stepping up in the fight against #NeglectedTropicalDiseases (NTDs). By November 2025, more than 500 youths had already joined the programme; 100 in Kigali and nearly 400 across Ruhango and Bugesera. This is what real change looks like: informed, motivated youth leading community action, promoting hygiene, prevention, and awareness. The movement is growing, the energy is unstoppable, and the impact is real. 👉Read the article: newtimes.co.rw/article/32959/… #YouthInActions #YouthActionsAgainstNTDs #YouthImpacts @TheENDFund @GlobalFund @WHORwanda @EricNiyongira1 @RwandaHealth @nsanzimanasabin @RwandaYouthArts @noellashyaka @harerimana_tito @kemnique

Rwanda's Road to 2030: Advancing NTD and Leprosy Elimination Through One Health Action @RBCRwanda, in collaboration with @RwandaNGOForum, under the support of @TheENDFund and partners, including @WHORwanda, Heart and Sole Africa (HASA), Welfare for Animals Guild Rwanda (WAG), and others, has today led the national celebration of World #NTDs and #Leprosy Day, themed "Tujyanemo mu isuku n'isukura duhashye indwara ziterwa n'umwanda." Gathered in @RuhangoDistrict, #Rwanda celebrates significant gains, including the elimination of Sleeping Sickness and a drop in intestinal worm infections from 66% in 2012 to 39% in 2022. These results prove what happens when communities, partners, and stakeholders take coordinated action. But the Last Mile is still ahead. Districts, including @RuhangoDistrict and @BugeseraDistr, continue to face Schistosomiasis (SCH) and Soil-transmitted helminths (STH). Sustained community effort and a One Health mindset remain essential. Dr Isabella Mukagatare, @RBCRwanda representative, emphasized that progress depends on everyday actions: "Collaboration between government institutions, Civil Society, private sector, and communities is essential in the fight against neglected diseases and leprosy. By improving hygiene, raising awareness, and bringing health services closer to the people, we can make significant progress." Her words point directly to simple steps: clean homes, safe water, and timely care. Leprosy remains misunderstood. It is curable and does not spread through casual contact. Stigma delays treatment and harms families. The @WHORwanda Head of Mission and Country Representative, @BrianChirombo, called for immediate action to protect dignity: "By acting now to improve hygiene and end stigma, we ensure that no one is left behind." Ending stigma and harmful myths is equally important as taking medicine." The message for every #Rwandan is clear: maintain hygiene, use safe water, report symptoms early, and participate in Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaigns. As the @RwandaNGOForum Executive Director, @Knooliet, reminded all partners and stakeholders, "Defeating NTDs and Leprosy is not possible through the health sector alone; it requires strong collaboration between water and sanitation, local government, agriculture, education, environment, and infrastructure sectors. Collaboration among all these sectors is a cornerstone, not a choice. We must view multisectoral coordination and collaboration as a continuous commitment rather than a one-time event, aligning our programs and budgets to maximize impact." Together, #Rwanda moves toward the 2030 #NTDs elimination goals. #UniteActEliminateRw #IsukuHose #WorldNTDsDay @RwandaHealth @RwandaLocalGov @RwandaAgri @RwandaSouth @Rwanda_Edu @merckgroup @unicefrw @UNDP_Rwanda @WorldBankAfrica @ENDinAfrica @UNITAID @gatesfoundation @FCDOGovUK @GlobalFund @SCIRwanda @USAIDRwandaMD @RockefellerFdn @ELMAPhilanthro @AmrefAfrica @IntraHealth @MSF @AfricaCDC @SciDevNet @HealthPolicyW @TheLancet @FightSchistoRw

Such a privilege to be with the WHO Country Director @BrianChirombo, as we marked World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day in Ruhango District. #WNTDs #EndNTDs #BSIRwanda #Tujyanemo