This policy highlights the government’s resolve to coordinate all efforts and activities in the health sector. It enshrines government goals and targets for the sector as contained in the vision 2020, the EDPRS and the HSSP. It recognizes the need to change priority areas in line with the change in epidemiologic and socio-economic conditions of Rwandans. “It sets the health sector’s objectives, identifies the priority health interventions for meeting these objectives, outlines the role of each level in the health system, and provides guidelines for improved planning and evaluation of activities in the health sector.” It is the first point of call for all stakeholders in the health sector.

Prevention and mitigation of storms are regularly reviewed due to the ubiquitous nature of storms (heavy rains, winds, thunder, hailstones) in all districts of Rwanda. The contingency plan analyses past occurrences, as a tool to aid better preparedness levels and heightened response systems. It also seeks to further strengthen institutional forces and create a clear action plan for all stakeholders.

The national contingency for drought plans to contribute towards effective systems for drought detection, response, reporting, and cross-sector collaboration. It is in response to the recent occurrence of drought in the country and will serve as a mid and long term effort at managing future occurrences.

The plan acknowledges the complexities accompanying the influx of population in a country. It points to influxes influenced by wars, social conflicts, and the various forms of natural calamities. It serves as a guideline for effective management of population influx and its accompanying issues to ensure the safety of both the host communities and migrating population.

The contingency plan relates to the western part of Rwanda mostly and Rwanda generally. The western part sits close to a region prone to eruption from two active volcanoes. It notes the eruption of one of the volcanoes in 2002, which although did not elicit lava flow into Rwanda, led to the influx of people into Rwanda. The plan thus seeks to beef up Rwanda’s preparedness and response systems towards any future occurrence. It clearly spells out the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders if such need arises.

The contingency plan, like all other contingency plans, aims to minimise the loss of lives and properties, as well as effects on the environment, that could arise as a result of uncertainty and poor preparations. This plan on earthquake covers activities to be effected in the case of an earthquake occurrence, based on history and geological activities, especially in the rift valley region. It also makes provisions for the aftermath effects of earthquakes; aftershocks, landslides, and fire outbreaks.

Terrorist attacks and incidents have become rampant in the world. They include explosive attacks, hostage-taking, chemical and biological attacks, and other terrorist attacks. The plan arises as a result of the perceived risky position of Rwanda, in terms of its regional position, regional security, and political background. It thus highlights the structures and processes crucial to ensure heightened preparedness and responsiveness to terrorist-related attacks.

This serves as the implementation of the fire safety response measures. It assesses the fire risks and ensures prompt response to fire incidents as they arise. “The contingencies contained therein are consistent with the areas of
delivery of fire services that are recommended for review by Rwanda National Police (co-lead), Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Natural Resources, Rwanda Defence forces, Ministry of Health, Rwanda National Police (Fire and Rescue Brigade), Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, and the ministry of local government.

The ministerial instructions relate to the management of refugees and refugee camps. The activities prohibited in refugee camps include; political activities, biased or sectarian gatherings, military-related activities, neglect of parental duties, all activities without prior authorization, use of false identification, ownership or possession of any weapon, unlawful riots, drug use and trafficking, and theft of all forms.

The 5-year strategic plan seeks to develop the arts industries sector as a tool to drive job creation and contribute to the socio-economic development of the country. The focus of the plan includes plastic arts and handcraft, publishing, cinema (visual arts), performing arts, music, design, cultural institutions, tourism, and language industries.

The government recognises the importance of cultural tourism, as an avenue to share with the rest of the world, the cultural heritage of Rwanda. Being a young sector, the strategic plan seeks to address several latent challenges; “insufficient research and documentation on cultural heritage, lack of infrastructures for exhibitions of cultural heritage and cultural expressions, insufficient infrastructures facilitating access to historical and cultural sites, lack of coordination in data management, fast deterioration of sites due to unfavourable climate and human activity, and insufficient managerial and administrative skills of professionals”.

The guidelines contained in this document serve as a guide for the safe and efficient disposal and decommission of obsolete and unserviceable health equipment. It underlines the need for new health equipment as changes evolve. It also emphasizes the need to ensure disposal and decommissioning is done safely (both to humans and the environment), economically, and efficiently, in line with best practices.

The strategic plan highlights the important role played by sports and culture in the transformation of Rwandan communities. It connects with the national sports and culture framework in pursuing a high performing sports and culture sector.

Sports play a crucial role in Rwanda, through interactions, and fostering of social cohesion. It acknowledges the interventions of government in sports infrastructure and points out the need to do more. It prioritises grassroots development to ensure the sports sector fulfils its maximum socioeconomic and cultural potential.

The national culture heritage policy sets out to preserve, nurtured and protected as it serves as the distinct character of the Rwandan people. It attests to the importance of the Rwandan culture as a pool to source homegrown solutions to the myriad of problems and challenges that serve as a barrier to attaining its vision of a middle-income country

The national policy on library services aims to ensure the improved provision of library facilities and services, to maximize the potential of the libraries in society. It pushes to, among other things: strengthen available resources, provide literacy and reading culture promotion programs, facilitate private sector participation in the development of library services, and effective preservation of the Rwandan intellectual and cultural heritage.

The government of Rwanda deems it necessary to formulate the national agricultural extension strategy. The strategy is developed to ensure necessary breakthroughs in the efforts towards modernisation, development, and transformation of agriculture is promptly disseminated to farmers and producers in a professional and coordinated way. The strategy will complement the PSTA, the EDPRS, and the vision 2020.

This strategic plan pursues facilitating the implementation of the fourth Health sector strategic plan, HSSP IV. It focuses on pooling resources, sourcing for finance, and purchasing health services. It strives to ensure the goals and targets of the HSSP IV in conjunction with other crucial policies are attained by the set date.

The gender strategy in agriculture is in line with Rwanda’s Constitution of 2003, the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS), the National Gender Policy, and the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture in Rwanda Phase II (PSTA-II). The strategy will ensure the integration of gender issues in the implementation of the PSTA II programs. It will also serve as a guide for the ministry of agriculture and animal resources on the need to be gender-sensitive in their discharge and implementation of programs and interventions.

The strategic plan on the environment sub-sector is the 5-year push to highlight the necessary key priorities and resources crucial to achieving the objectives and targets for the environment contained in the vision 2020 and the economic development and poverty reduction strategy (EDPRS). It serves to institutionalise the strategy of the Environment and Natural Resources (ENRSSP). Its objectives are pollution control and management, effective service delivery and environmental governance, integration of environmental principles in the core national policies, protection from effects of climate change and fostering productive functioning of ecosystems.