Save the Children began delivering health services in Mahama refugee camp in 2016, in response to the Burundi refugee crisis. Our health facility started as a Primary health care post, targeting refugees in Mahama II. In the beginning, the initial services were limited to emergency outpatient consultations, nutrition screening services, and referrals to the Kirehe District Hospital (27 km away from Mahama camp).

Based on increasing needs of the served population and on request of partners, including the Government of Rwanda, the health service facility expanded from Health Post targeting 12,000 population to a comprehensive Primary Health Care Center providing comprehensive and integrated care to over 33,000 beneficiaries. 

The outpatient service package included, among others, laboratory services, as well as integration of Inpatient Care (targeting severe pediatric and medical conditions). The Reproductive Health services also expanded to offer Emergency Obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC), including neonatal resuscitation.  The variety of services also included HIV/AIDS screening and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, anti-retroviral therapy and HIV prevention.

Since 2023, Save the Children has expanded its Health and Nutrition activities to five other refugee camps and two transit centres, home of 135,077 population (UNHCR, August 2024).

1.  Maternal Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) / Reproductive Health (RH)

The reproductive health (RH) interventions aim to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality through ensuring access to safe pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period for both mothers and children. Currently these services are offered in all five refugee camps and reception centers. 

Mahama II Health Centre has been medicalised with inclusion of comprehensive emergency obstetric care to increase access to Comprehensive Obstetrics and Neonatal care (CEmoNC) for refugees by integrating Caesarian sections and blood transfusion in our services. With medicalisation of health services in Mahama II, Save the Children has successfully integrated the Operation Theatre in Mahama II health facility. Services are delivered 24/7 at facility-level by trained doctors, theatre nurses, anesthetist with the equipment of the operation theatre.  This is the first primary health care centre in a refugee set-up in Rwanda to provide this vital service.  

2.  Nutrition Component

The Nutrition programming is to reduce nutrition related morbidity.  It mainly targets children below 5 years old, pregnant and lactating women.  Other key nutrition components implemented by Save the children in Rwanda include:

• Micronutrient supplementation

• Addressing stunting among refugees linked to Livelihoods

• Community Nutrition interventions

• Vulnerable groups, HIV/AIDS, TB patients PLWs

Nutrition education is supported by a robust community outreach component, with a network of Community Health Workers and Volunteers at community level. 

3.  HIV/AIDS Program

Integrated within the PHC services the interventions are geared towards prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Key activities include:

• Prevention/education, condom distribution through peer education

• Screening and testing, prevention of mother-to-mother transmission

• Treatment: ARV/ART therapy facility based

Adolescents, Sexual & Reproductive Health (ASRH) services include interventions for preventing teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS by increasing access to sexual and reproductive health education, screening for HIV/STIs, and treatment and referral for STIs.