{"id":119418,"date":"2026-02-09T10:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T10:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans"},"modified":"2026-02-09T11:14:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T11:14:44","slug":"new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans","title":{"rendered":"New System Brings Epilepsy Surgery Closer to Rwandans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>The government is set to establish a permanent, sustainable clinical system for epilepsy surgery, a move that will reduce reliance on foreign medical missions and overseas referrals for complex brain procedures.<\/p>\n

The initiative, the first of its kind in Rwanda and the wider Great Lakes region aims to integrate advanced epilepsy surgery into the country\u2019s public health system, allowing patients to access specialised care locally.<\/p>\n

According to Dr Paulin Munyemana, a neurosurgeon at Rwanda Military Hospital (RMTH) and the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), the system will provide comprehensive patient tracking across the entire clinical pathway, from initial consultation to final surgical decision-making.<\/p>\n

By strengthening local infrastructure, the Ministry of Health seeks to end the practice of sending patients to Europe or the United States for life-saving neurosurgical procedures.<\/p>\n

Dr Munyemana said the programme will officially launch on Monday, February 9, to coincide with International Epilepsy Day.<\/p>\n

Unlike past short-term medical missions, the initiative marks the beginning of a long-term training and treatment framework embedded within Rwanda\u2019s national hospitals and universities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not just looking to treat a few individuals; we are building a sustainable clinical system,\u201d Dr Munyemana said. \u201cThis includes standardised protocols and a multidisciplinary network where neurologists and neurosurgeons work together in structured cycles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The programme will initially collaborate with European experts to help establish and refine local protocols, with the long-term goal of complete self-sufficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce this system is fully established, we will no longer need to send doctors abroad for training or depend on visiting teams. We will train our specialists right here in Rwanda,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

A critical treatment gap<\/b><\/p>\n

For many people living with epilepsy in Rwanda, medication remains the first line of treatment. However, Dr Munyemana noted that drugs have their limits.<\/p>\n

When a patient has tried multiple medications without success, the condition is classified as drug-resistant epilepsy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeurosurgical intervention has a success rate of about 70 per cent,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom a clinical standpoint, we simply cannot afford to ignore such an effective treatment option.\u201d<\/p>\n

While South Africa remains the regional leader in epilepsy surgery within Sub-Saharan Africa, most countries continue to struggle with limited capacity. Rwanda\u2019s investment in this infrastructure, he said, positions the country as a potential regional hub for advanced neurological care.<\/p>\n

Cutting costs, saving lives<\/b><\/p>\n

Beyond health outcomes, the economic case for local epilepsy surgery is compelling.<\/p>\n

Dr Munyemana said referring a single patient abroad for specialised brain surgery places a heavy financial burden on the healthcare system.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cost difference is staggering,\u201d he said. \u201cSending one patient abroad can cost upwards of $300,000. If we perform the same surgery locally, using national health insurance, we could treat up to ten patients at a fraction of that cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

The initiative also seeks to confront the deep-rooted social challenges surrounding epilepsy.<\/p>\n

In Sub-Saharan Africa, epilepsy prevalence is estimated at about 50 per 1,000 people, yet many cases remain unreported due to stigma and discrimination.<\/p>\n

\u201cEpilepsy carries a heavy social stigma, which often prevents people from seeking help,\u201d Dr Munyemana said, adding that the condition frequently affects entire households by limiting productivity and economic stability.<\/p>\n

He described epilepsy as a public health issue requiring a holistic response, noting that many cases currently treated at Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital are not adequately captured in national data systems.<\/p>\n

Prevention and the road ahead<\/b><\/p>\n

As diagnostic capacity improves, health officials expect reported epilepsy cases to rise. While some cases are genetic, Dr Munyemana said many causes in Rwanda are preventable.<\/p>\n

He cited brain infections such as meningitis and parasitic diseases as major contributors, alongside traumatic brain injuries resulting from road traffic accidents.<\/p>\n

By strengthening road safety, infection control and surgical care simultaneously, Rwanda aims not only to treat existing patients but also to reduce future incidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, our system for identifying and selecting surgical candidates was not as effective as it should have been,\u201d Dr Munyemana said. \u201cBy building this capacity locally, we are offering Rwandans the same level of care they would receive in Europe or the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. The government is set to establish a permanent, sustainable clinical system for epilepsy surgery, a move that will reduce reliance on foreign medical missions and overseas referrals for complex brain procedures. The initiative, the first of its kind in Rwanda and the wider Great Lakes region aims to integrate advanced epilepsy surgery […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":119417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,30],"tags":[4876,9316,9317,7547,852,758],"class_list":["post-119418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-chuk","tag-clinical-system","tag-epilepsy","tag-great-lakes-region","tag-healthcare","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nNew System Brings Epilepsy Surgery Closer to Rwandans - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The government is set to establish a permanent, sustainable clinical system for epilepsy surgery, a move that will reduc ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New System Brings Epilepsy Surgery Closer to Rwandans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The government is set to establish a permanent, sustainable clinical system for epilepsy surgery, a move that will reduc ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-09T10:10:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-09T11:14:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2026\/02\/sm_1770622950.250305.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"New System Brings Epilepsy Surgery Closer to Rwandans\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-09T10:10:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-09T11:14:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans\"},\"wordCount\":689,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2026\/02\/sm_1770622950.250305.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"CHUK\",\"Clinical system\",\"Epilepsy\",\"Great Lakes Region\",\"healthcare\",\"Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-system-brings-epilepsy-surgery-closer-to-rwandans\",\"name\":\"New System Brings Epilepsy Surgery Closer to Rwandans - 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