Rwanda is targeting the interruption of transmission of leprosy and onchocerciasis (river blindness) by 2030, under a new five-year plan to tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). ALSO READ: What it will take to eliminate NTDs by 2030 The Neglected Tropical Diseases Strategic Plan 2026–2030 estimates that 13 million people remain at risk of at least one neglected tropical disease, with rural and underserved communities bearing a disproportionate burden. The plan aims to reduce diseases such as schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal worms) to below one percent in selected areas of Bugesera and Ruhango districts, where the government will pilot efforts to stop transmission. ALSO READ: What it will take to eliminate NTDs by 2030 The five-year plan has an estimated cost of Rwf13.79 billion. Rwanda wants domestic funding to cover at least 70 percent of the needs for tackling neglected tropical diseases by 2030. The country has made progress against several of the diseases covered by the plan. The prevalence of intestinal worms fell from 45 percent in 2014 to below 20 percent. The government plans to gradually move from mass drug administration towards routine deworming as it seeks to sustain the progress made against intestinal worms. Leprosy, river blindness remain threats Rwanda has confirmed ongoing transmission of river blindness in focal areas of Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts, which border DR Congo and Burundi. The country has developed a separate national plan for river blindness elimination, with a target of at least 85 percent programme coverage annually and 100 percent geographical coverage by 2030. Leprosy remains endemic in four districts; Gisagara, Bugesera, Ngoma and Rusizi. Over the past five years, Rwanda reported 119 new leprosy cases, with more than 89 percent originating from endemic sectors in the four districts and Nyaruguru. New leprosy cases have declined by 30 percent over the past 10 years, compared with the previous 10 years. However, detection of new cases among children and people with grade-two disabilities indicates that transmission continues and cases are still being diagnosed late. Between July 2019 and June 2025, 10.6 percent of 132 new cases were children, while 16.7 percent had grade-two disability at the start of treatment. Contact tracing has reached 537 leprosy household contacts, with 68 percent of those eligible for preventive treatment receiving it. By 2030, Rwanda wants zero new locally acquired leprosy cases among children under five for at least five consecutive years. Other diseases on the list Rwanda plans to submit validation dossiers to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) and trachoma by 2030. The country also aims to achieve zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies. It will target vaccination of at least 70 percent of dogs in affected areas annually for at least three consecutive years. The government plans to submit documents to the WHO seeking verification that transmission of yaws, a bacterial infection that affects the skin and bones, has been interrupted, with WHO eradication certification targeted by 2030. Other neglected conditions, including snakebite envenoming, mycetoma, scabies, tungiasis, taeniasis, podoconiosis and cysticercosis, will have case detection and clinical care incorporated into routine systems, alongside expanded reporting through the national health information system. Bringing services closer to community The government plans to integrate neglected tropical disease services into primary healthcare, schools and community-based services. By 2030, all primary healthcare facilities are expected to provide integrated NTD services in line with national guidelines. At least 90 percent of schools are expected to conduct school-based deworming. There will be closer coordination between NTD programmes and water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, with the plan targeting coordination in all districts. Among the challenges identified are recurring shortages of essential NTD medicines and diagnostics, limited surveillance and data systems, and gaps in the integration of NTD services into the wider health system.
