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  • Tobacco Kills 5 Million Every Year–WHO

    In every six seconds one person dies from a tobacco related disease. This amounts to 5million deaths globally every year.

    The alarming statistics are contained in a new report released March 15th by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), entitled “Mortality Attributable to Tobacco”.

    Dr.Ala Alwan, the UN WHO Assistant Director-General in charge of Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health says, “Unless strong actions are taken to halt the tobacco epidemic, one billion people are projected to die this century – we cannot let this happen. All countries should implement the Convention on tobacco control.”

    The report shows that 5% of all deaths from communicable diseases worldwide and 14 % of deaths resulting from non-communicable illnesses among adults aged 30 and above were attributable to tobacco use.

    Globally, each year Tobacco use is responsible for 5 million (12%) of all deaths of adults above the age of 30.

    For the first time, a United Nations report provides estimated mortality rates attributable to tobacco for 2004, the year before the international treaty on tobacco came into force.

    In 2005 the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) came into effect. It requires parties to restrict tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion. It also set new labeling and clean indoor air controls and strengthening laws against tobacco smuggling.

    “Although many people associate tobacco with non-communicable diseases such as cancers, heart and respiratory diseases, tobacco is also a major cause of communicable diseases – tuberculosis being a case in point where the disease is at times in latent or dormant state until activated by tobacco use,” said Dr. Alwan, says in his forward message in the report.

    Globally, deaths from tobacco-related cardiovascular diseases were more likely to occur among younger adults. 38% of deaths of adults resulting from ischemic heart disease in the 30-44 age group were attributable to tobacco, while 71 % of all lung cancer deaths were linked to the use of tobacco.

    The report contains country-specific estimates including death rates attributable to tobacco. It is intended to help countries assess the mortality of tobacco use and measure the success of efforts to discourage the use of the substance.

    It follows the 2008 WHO report on the issue, which prompted some Member States to request the agency to consider generating estimates to give them an indication of their progress in combating tobacco use.

    The regions with the highest number of deaths related to the use of tobacco are the Americas and Europe where tobacco use has been in use longer, according to the report.

  • 8 Killed in Bus Accident

    Eight Passengers died and five were seriously injured in an accident on Friday at about 11:30 Am at Rugarika sector in Kamonyi district.

    The accident occurred when two vehicles got involved in a head-on collision. One car was heading to Ngororero district and another was enroute from Nyanza. The vehicles are said to be belonging to Horizon Express and Africa Tours both are transport companies.

    34 passengers from both vehicles sustained minor or serious injuries. 15 causalities are being hospitalized.

    Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent BADEGE said the accident was caused by reckless driving and overspeeding.

    Chief. Supt. Badege also calls upon passengers to report to police via SMS cases of reckless driving.

  • Rwanda Population Census for April 2012

    Rwanda shall hold a nationwide population census in April 2012. During which House-to-House visits by enumerators will collect information about people living in Rwanda on Census Day – 15 August 2012.

    The Population and Housing Census (PHC) will generate crucial data for measuring Rwandan Socio-economic progress and for providing an evidence base that can guide national policymaking.

    16,500 enumerators, including one for every village (umudugudu), will visit every household in Rwanda. Final results will be published within ten months of Census Day, observing that “data delayed is data denied”.

    The previous and 3rd General Census of Population and Housing was held in Rwanda in August 2002 aimed at improving knowledge on the socio-demographic characteristics of the inhabitants of Rwanda in order to ensure a more rigorous integration of the “population” variable into social and economic plans and programmers.

    The 2002 census also aimed at updating statistical database on population, especially after the traumatic incidents of the early 1990s which had far reaching effects on the status and evolution of the population.

    In other words, on the size, structure and spatial distribution of this population on the one hand, and on its internal dynamics resulting from the interplay of fertility and mortality levels and migratory flows.

  • Rwandan Refugees Cross Back Home

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    Rwandan refugees totaling 158 have returned home from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They crossed into Rwanda via the Rusizi Border in Rusizi district.

    The returning refugees said that their delay to return home has been due to FDLR terrorist group in DRC that has held most Rwandan refugees hostage.

    Also among the returnees include a Congolese woman who is married to a Rwandan.

    Uwitonze Alfred Safi is the head of the refugee camp at Nyagatare where the returning refugees are hosted after their return to Rwanda.

    He says, “The number includes mostly women and children; however, the number of men returning is also gradually increasing. Only 29 are men.”

    Most male refugees are recruited into the FDLR.and also the negative sensitization campaign conducted by the FDLR causes most male refugees not to consider crossing into Rwanda.

  • Police Arrest Suspected Car Thief

    Police in Bugesera district has reportedly arrested a suspected car thief that stole and sold the same car to an unsuspecting buyer.

    Justin Rwabukambiza, 46 was on Friday arrested for selling a vehicle belonging to one Ben Benzinge, a resident of Gisozi sector, Gasabo District.

    Rwabukambiza a resident of Busanza cell, Kanombe sector, Kicukiro District hired car model Land cruiser registration number RAB 260 D from Ben Benzinge a resident of Gisozi sector, Gasabo District.

    Annick Uwantege, Benzinge’s wife had agreed to rent out the vehicle at a cost of Frw 750,000 per month for a period of three months.

    Rwabukambiza who claims to be the managing director of Urubogobogo Company limited based in Kimironko, Kigali falsified the Car’s documents and changed the ownership into his names.

    He then conned one Alfred Niringiyimana a resident of Nyamata Sector, Bugesera district into loaning him Frw 5 million in exchange for the car as collateral.

    Through a tip off from one of the witnesses, Police arrested the suspect. He is currently held at Nyamata Police station.

    Police spokesperson Superintendent Theos Badege cautioned the public from dealing with swindlers.

    “You should be sure of people you are dealing with before you commit to business,” Badge cautioned.

  • Clarifications of Health Sector Remunerations

    The Minister of Health Dr. Agnes Binagwaho would like to make clarifications on some on-going and misleading media reports stating that the ministry has cut salaries for some staff within our health facilities including Doctors, Nurses and Midwives.

    While we are mindful of the great value and contribution that health care providers render to our people across our country, the Ministry of Health is also at the same time mandated to ensure that rules, regulations and guidelines adopted as a Government are adhered to within the sector.

    In light of the above, the Ministry of Health recently issued a circular instructing District Hospital Directors to follow Public service regulations that provide guidance on the approved Salary structure for our sector.

    As Civil Servants, Health professionals draw a net pay from Government that is supplemented with a ‘Reward-for-Results’ or Top-Up mechanism, known as Performance Based Financing (PBF) that was approved by Government as a motivation for the Health sector to go an extra mile in producing positive results. This extra package (PBF) is received across the board and is mainly tagged to results.

    However, it has been noted that in addition to the Government remuneration and this PBF, hospitals have been using internally generated revenues to again issue another additional top-up onto their Net take home in an uncoordinated manner.

    These internally generated hospital revenues are not supposed to be used for any top-ups but rather should be spent on improving the quality of health care services like acquiring more equipment,
    maintaining infrastructure and ensuring that more basic needs are available in health facilities.

    In addition, the issued circular reminded management of District hospitals to harmonize and align Net Take home for health care providers paid under project resources to those under the Civil Service structure. This is to avoid any disparities that was creating and a feeling of unfairness among clinicians and other health care providers.

    However, in light of the above, we are mindful of the great work and personal sacrifice of some health professionals doing a commendable job in remote areas for which the Ministry is currently working on a
    mechanism of how to reward them. This will be tabled at the General Health sector meeting for adoption at an appropriate moment.

    Once again, the ministry of Health is mindful of the great contribution donne by acdres of this sector, for which we attach value. However, the above decision was taken to ensure a stamp outinequality and ensure a harmonized remuneration structure for our sector.

    Dr. Agnes Binagwaho

    Minister of Health
    Republic of Rwanda

  • Late Bishop Misago Burried

    The late Bishop Augustin Misago was buried Thursday at Gikongoro Diocese main cathedral in Nyamagabe district. He passed away on 12 March.

    He was buried March 15 Thursday at the left side of the altar at the Gikongoro Cathedral.

    The funeral service was presided over by Ntihinyurwa Thadée of Kigali. It was attended by several Christians and leaders of other faiths and government officials.

    Late Bishop Misago is remembered for transformation of the Diocese.

  • Qatar Airways Spreads Wings to Rwanda

    Effective March 21 Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, will begin daily flights to Rwanda’s Kigali International Airport on.

    Joining the airline’s aggressively expanding route map, Kigali is the third destination launched by the carrier so far this year and latest to the African continent.

    Operating via Entebbe, Kigali becomes Qatar Airways’ 17th route in Africa, joining its ever-growing global network that currently spans 112 destinations. Further expansion is planned across East Africa during 2012 with new services to Mombasa, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.

    Qatar Airways already has a successful operation to neighbouring capital cities of Entebbe, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

    Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “We are pleased to be reinforcing our presence in Africa with the addition of scheduled flights to Rwanda, allowing us to further expand our business on the African continent.”

    Rwanda is fast emerging as a growing economic centre, forming strong trade links with Europe and the Far East, thanks largely to its rich mineral resources.

    For passengers travelling on Qatar Airways, they will have convenient access to Rwanda via the airline’s strategically positioned Doha hub, and expansive global route network.

    The launch of Qatar Airways in Rwanda will give business travellers and tourists alike with daily flights to Doha and beyond. Key markets include Hong Kong, Thailand, India, China, the United States and United Kingdom, all served by Qatar Airways.

    Added Al Baker: “There is clearly demand and huge potential to and from Rwanda, one of many underserved markets across Africa. As a network global carrier we are able to fulfill the needs of the travelling public from such markets and for those wanting to travel there from destinations we serve around the world.”

    The exposure of Rwanda to the world through the airline’s global network will enable the country to attract more tourists, with several attractions focusing on wildlife and natural scenic beauty.

    At the recent ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel show held in the German capital, Rwandan dancers performed traditional pieces for visitors on Qatar Airways’ exhibition stand to showcase and promote the new Kigali route.

    Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 106 aircraft to 112 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

    During 2012, Qatar Airways launches 14 new routes from Doha, namely Baku, Tbilisi, Kigali, Perth, Zagreb, Gassim, Helsinki, Belgrade, Erbil, Baghdad, Yangon, Mombasa, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.

  • Ethiopia Attacks Terrorist Camps in Eritrea

    IGIHE has reliably learnt that Ethiopian troops have launched attacks inside Eritrea accusing their suspicious neighbour of training “subversive groups” that were planning to carry out attacks inside Ethiopia.

    The two countries have had fragile relations which fought a border war from 1998 to 2000.The two countries signed a peace treaty but tensions between them have remained high ever since.

    Several Eritreans have reportedly been killed in the attacks and others captured during the attack on three camps.

    Eritrea has remained non committal to the incidence.

    The attack was launched Thursday night and it is the first attack by Ethiopian troops inside Eritrean territory since the end of the war, in which some 80,000 people died.

    Ethiopia accuses its neighbor of backing Ethiopian rebels who staged a January raid in the northern Afar region that killed five Western tourists.

    Ethiopian government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said Eritrea is harbouring “hit-and-run terrorists”.

  • NUR Graduates Denied Jobs

    Having only Testimonial letter might not enable graduates from the National University of Rwanda (NUR) get employed yet their academic transcripts have been delayed.

    Employers allegedly reject such testimonials and insist on authentic academic transcripts and certificates.

    Dr. Christopher Kayumba the NUR publicist was quoted by the national broadcaster saying that the NUR cannot make any comments in the event that the testimonial letters are still valid.

    NUR argues that the testimonial letters have no deadline.

    The Public service commission has also been quoted saying that students have the right to apply for jobs provided they have testimonials confirming completion of studies at their respective institutions of learning.

    Angelina Muganza the Executive Secretary of the Public Service Commission says every student has the right to apply for jobs, as long as documents presented indicate that they have completed their studies and consequently passed.