PSI global chief calls on Premier

The Board Chairman of Population Services International (PSI), Frank E. Loy, yesterday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Pierre Damien Haburemyi at his offices in Kigali. Loy who led a delegation of five PSI board members, discussed with the Premier several issues, especially regarding how best to enhance the country’s health sector. In an interview with The New Times shortly after their meeting, Loy said: “We met the Prime Minister to tell him about what PSI has so far done in Rwanda and the way forward.” He stated that PSI is in the process of handing over some of its programmes to a new organisation known as the Society for Health, which will be launched soon and run by Rwandans. “Rwanda is doing better than any other African country in effective family planning methods; and this shows that as a nation, it has a bright future and PSI will maintain its strong cooperation with the Rwandan government to sustain this progress,” Loy noted. PSI Rwanda mainly deals in health services which include HIV prevention, family planning, malaria prevention and sanitation. According to Loy, PSI has been working in Rwanda for the last 19 years, adding that currently, it works in over 60 countries worldwide. The Minister of Health, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, who was also present at the meeting, told The New Times that PSI has worked with her ministry on several research works in the social sector aimed at behavioural change to guarantee better lives. She noted that currently, 45 percent of women of fertility age use family planning methods countrywide.steven.mugisha@newtimes.co.rw

National

PSI global chief calls on Premier