Above. University of Michigan colleagues Jody Lori and David Bradley with Joseph Kolars (camera) visit the District Hospital in Kirehe, Rwanda.
For the past several years, Rwanda has been reaching out to the University of Michigan for potential partnerships to improve health. The Ministry of Health has been impressed with the fruits of our collaborations in nearby Ethiopia, wondering if we could have a similar impact in Rwanda.
The newest medical school in Rwanda, the University of Global Health Equity—where Center director Joseph Kolars serves on the advisory committee—has been collaborating with us on several potential initiatives.
So it was with much excitement and anticipation that the Center was finally able to conduct a site visit after several postponements due to Covid. We were impressed by the investments being made by the government in systems for better health—from teaching hospitals to the community health systems.
We were energized by the possibility of co-designing projects with local stakeholders that would advance training and education for better health. These conversations brought us into teaching hospitals, district hospitals, professional schools, communities, and entities such as USAID who are funding partnerships to improve health.
For a Center such as ours that prioritizes health equity, there is much to do and much to learn from the colleagues we met and relationships that were nurtured during this trip.
Joseph C. Kolars, MD, MACP
Director, University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity
Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Medicine
Josiah Macy Jr., Professor of Health Professions Education, U-M Medical School
Professor of Health Management and Policy, U-M School of Public Health
