Rwanda fully adheres to the “Three Ones” principles: the existence of one national coordinating body, one strategic national plan of action and one sole monitoring and evaluation framework.

NamThe Rwandan National Commission against AIDS (CNLS) ensures multi-sector coordination through the implementation of the National Multisectoral HIV and AIDS Policy and Strategic Plan for 2005-2009. The Strategic Plan encompasses government’s support of decentralisation, which offers enhanced opportunities for involving community-level actors and CSOs in national development priorities.

In addition to the National Strategic Plan, Rwanda has endorsed a number of policy documents and strategy papers that support the country’s HIV response; notably, the 2005 Health Sector Policy (HSP), the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) 2005-2009, the HIV Treatment and Care Plan (2003-2007), the National HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (2006-2009), the National Reproductive Health Policy of 2003, and the Policy Statement on TB/HIV Collaborative Activities. A national policy on gender-based violence is currently being developed.

The 2003 National Policy for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (OVC) and the recent National Plan of Action for OVC have ensured that the national OVC response is focused and placed within the context of national and international law and human rights.

The National Reproductive Health Policy, the National Policy on Condoms and the Family Planning Strategy institutionalise important links between HIV and comprehensive reproductive health services and condom programming by defining priority areas for expanded services. These priorities are based on the context of Rwanda’s extremely high maternal and infant mortality rates, high fertility rate and low contraceptive use. The National Reproductive Health Policy provides the framework for an integrated multisectoral response.

Key Achievements

• Free access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) since 2005
• Increased involvement of faith-based organisations and disabled people, improved interventions for orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC)
• Increased understanding of HIV from a human rights perspective
• Since 2002, the number of facilities providing ART has increased dramatically from 76 in 2005 to 165 at the end of 2007. The number of people being receiving ART has increased from 7,000 in 2004 to 49,000 in 2007.
• A male circumcision implementation strategy has recently been developed

Key Challenges

• An evidence-based prevention strategy has yet to be developed and fully implemented.
• Condom acceptance, use and availability
• There is need for better integration of HIV with reproductive health
• More investment in health infrastructure is needed. More funding is also needed for people living with HIV, OVC and key populations at higher risk at the community level.
• Need for strengthened human resources within coordination bodies at national and decentralised levels
• Despite increased funding aimed at OVC, government has failed to meet the priorities outlined in the national OVC strategy.
• Organisations of people living with HIV organisations need to strengthen their fundraising capacity

• National Strategic Plan
• Comite National de Lutte contre le Sida (CNLS)
• PMTCT and Paediatric Care and Treatment Fact Sheet