Sep 3 2009
Five members of Congress who are visiting Rwanda said they will advocate for more funding for the country's health sector, New Times/allAfrica.com reports. The delegation includes Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), and Melvin Watt (D-N.C.) (Musoni, 9/1).
The group will visit "several development projects funded by the U.S. government" and meet with "various members of the Rwandan government," a separate New Times/allAfrica.com article reports (Karuhanga, 8/29).
After touring the Kigali University Teaching Hospital, which receives PEPFAR funding and "technical assistance from Columbia University to support the laboratory pediatric care and treatment centre for excellence," Rep. Meeks said he would "support every form of health initiative in Rwanda." Meeks attributed Rwanda's success to clear transparency policies.
"Congressman Kingston said that upon arrival back in the USA the delegation will advocate for Rwanda, to ensure that the country receives more support from the U.S.," New Times/allAfrica.com writes. "We will recommend the continual support and partnership with the government of Rwanda since we have visibly witnessed and [are] impressed by how good funds are allocated," Kingston said.
The delegation is expected to meet with President Paul Kagame before heading to Zimbabwe (9/1).
 This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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