Rwanda

Rwanda is located in the east-central region of Africa, surrounded by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania. Once a colony of Belgium, it became an independent nation in 1962. Rwanda is today in recovery from a horrifying episode of genocide in the spring and summer of 1994, which killed 800,000 and displaced another 2 million. Among it's other impacts, the genocide decimated the already-fragile economy, and continues to suffer high poverty rates, particularly among women and children.

The current population of Rwanda is 9.9 million, and is growing at 2.77 percent annually. Rwanda has a high birth rate, with 40.06 births per 1,000 population, with a fertility rate of 5.37 children born per woman. Median age is 18.6, with 42 percent of the population under 15. Life expectancy is just 47.87 years for males and 50.16 years for females.

Malaria, gastrointestinal diseases, and tuberculosis are the leading killers in Rwanda today. Only 42 percent of the population has access to sanitary waste facilities, and 74 percent have safe drinking water. Dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid, and schistosomiasis are endemic in many areas.

HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis have also emerged as a major problem within Rwanda. With an adult prevalence rate of 3.1 percent, the country is not the hardest-hit nation in the region. However, 190,000 Rwandans are living with the disease, and at least 21,000 have already died from it. The government has launched aggressive educational campaigns to try to stem the spread of the virus.

Malnutrition afflicts a large portion of the population. A long-standing drought across East Africa has reduced crop yields across large parts of Rwanda. UNICEF estimates that 23 percent of Rwandan children under the age of five are underweight, and 45 percent show moderate to severe stunting. Kwashiorkor, an often fatal form of malnutrition stemming from a lack of protein-based calories, is common among children today.

Lack of food is not the only problem faced by Rwandan children. The 1994 genocide, the AIDS epidemic, and the general chaos of life in post-war Rwanda have left and estimate 820,000 orphans. Thirty-five percent of children between the ages of 5 and 14 are in the labor force. Twenty percent marry before the age of 18. More than a decade after the genocide, hundreds of primary schools remain closed, and those that are open are often poorly staffed. Women also continue to suffer in post-war Rwanda. Only 17 percent have access to birth control. About 94 percent receive some prenatal care, but only 39 percent have a trained assistance during childbirth. The maternal mortality rate is 1,400 deaths per 100,000 live births. Rwandan women face a one in 10 chance of dying in childbirth.

The healthcare sector has not yet recovered from the 1994 war. Many facilities destroyed in the fighting have yet to reopen, and a large number of medical personnel who left during the genocide have not returned.

Staffing remains low and key drugs and equipment is lacking. It is estimated that more than 50 percent of the population no access to health care facilities. Many have to rely on local witch doctors, called umufumu, for treatment. Other go to the many nongovernmental agencies working within the country, including UNICEF, the International Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and other groups.

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