April 20, 2006 Source: :
http://communications.uwo.ca/media_newsroom/story.html?listing_id=21209 Western Assisting Rwanda to Rebuild its Health Care System - President of Rwanda to Visit Next Week London, ON. - What began as the effort of one professor determined to assist nurses in Rwanda has taken on new proportions with the President of Rwanda set to visit The University of Western Ontario on Monday, April 24. Western is the primary Canadian university involved in educating Rwandan nurses who are integral to the rebuilding of the African nation's public health system. During his visit to the University, Rwandan President Paul Kagame will meet with key individuals and tour specific facilities on campus to identify further opportunities for collaboration. He will also speak at a noon-hour luncheon and will meet with members of Canada's Rwandan community in the afternoon. Nurses in Rwanda are largely responsible for the care provided at 360 medical centres but approximately 80 per cent lack post-secondary education. The Western-led effort, Rebuilding Health in Rwanda, involves working with the Kigali Health Institute to develop nursing curriculum and to also provide some training to the country's future health care professionals. Last year, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) gave $1 million to the project. The project is considered to be integral in Rwanda's efforts to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS and to respond to staggering levels of mental health problems as a result of the 1994 genocide that claimed 800,000 lives. The media is welcome to join President Kagame's tour at 11 a.m. in the main lobby of the Medical Sciences Building. President Kagame will not take questions on the tour but will be available to speak to the media during a news conference at 11:45 a.m. in Michael's Restaurant in Somerville House. The media is also welcome to attend his address in the Great Hall at 12:30 p.m. TO COVER ANY OF THE EVENTS OUTLINED ABOVE PLEASE REGISTER BY PROVIDING YOUR NAME AND THE NAME OF YOUR NEWS ORGANIZATION TO rpocius@uwo.ca. PLEASE BRING PRESS CREDENTIALS. Please go to the following link for a map of campus: http://geography.ssc.uwo.ca/contact/campus.htm - 30 - MEDIA CONTACTS: Ruta Pocius, Associate Director, Media Relations at 519-661-2111, ext. 85468 or 519-495-7717 or Christine Roulston, Media Relations Officer at 519-661-2111, ext. 85165.
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