Strengthening mental healthcare in Rwanda through diaspora knowledge transfer
Rwanda is recognised as a leader in the region in health innovation, particularly in primary care and community-based mental health services. Efforts to decentralise mental health services have expanded psychiatric care to district hospitals, a main goal of Rwanda’s National Mental Health Policy and the sector’s strategic plans.
As Rwanda continues to strengthen its mental health system, gaps in specialised training remain a key area for development. These include enhancing workforce capacity and ensuring that training is well-adapted to local realities and cultural contexts. Health professionals have expressed a growing interest in further developing their skills to better serve diverse communities.
Recent mapping data shows that 20% of Rwandan diaspora professionals based in Europe work in health-related fields and are willing to contribute to skills transfer initiatives, creating a strategic opportunity to align national policy with the mobilisation of diaspora expertise in health.
This project leverages the expertise of Rwandan diaspora health professionals to upskill mental health workers in Rwanda through the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), the central implementing agency for healthcare. It does so by designing and producing training modules in cooperation with experts from the diaspora, the Luxembourg Media and Digital Design Centre, the RBC and EUDiF. The RBC, supported by local, diaspora and international experts, will then use this modules to train coaches and mental health professionals, thus reinforcing the role of RBC as a national training provider in mental health.
In partnership with
Programme of activities
A participatory needs assessment will be carried out remotely to identify gaps, resources, and opportunities for capacity development in the RBC Mental Health Division and related health centres.
A training of coaches and two vocational training modules on epilepsy and child psychology will be designed and produced with contributions from content experts, trainers, and scriptwriters from the diaspora and the Luxembourg Media and Digital Design Centre, with validation from the RBC and EUDiF teams.
RBC, supported by local, diaspora and international experts, will select individuals for coaching and vocational training.
The training will be conducted in a blended format, combining on-site missions and remote components to maximise efficiency. The activity also includes post-training evaluations, statistical analysis of feedback, and the development of recommendations to ensure the sustainability of the training programmes.
To increase awareness on diaspora engagement in mental health projects in Rwanda and ensure proper handover of the project, a short report describing the cooperation with the diaspora on the sector and the lessons learned will be crafted. The findings will be presented at a small concluding event and disseminated through concise communication products.