Birth asphyxia prevention training at Nyarugenge District Hospital
National and international stakeholders highlight achievements, launch the R3 Playbook, and commit to sustaining vaccine cold chain systems.
Kigali, Rwanda, June 18–19, 2026: National and international stakeholders convened at the Gorilla Hotel in Nyarutarama for a two‑day Results Dissemination and Sustainability Planning Workshop. Organized by We for Health, Vanguard Economics, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, and Nexleaf Analytics, with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the event brought together more than 50 participants, including government officials, biomedical engineers, district hospital teams, EPI supervisors, and development partners.
Opening the workshop, Dr. Albert Tuyishime, Head of Disease Prevention and Control at RBC, highlighted the achievements of the Rapid Response and Repair (R3) Initiative, a 14‑month project designed to strengthen cold chain equipment maintenance systems and sustain Rwanda’s world‑class immunization program.
In her keynote, Dr. Assumpta Kayinamura Mwali, Executive Director of We for Health, emphasized collaboration, quoting the Rwandan proverb “Inkingi imwe ntigera inzu” — one pillar cannot hold the house alone. “Today’s gathering is a living testament to that truth. What we celebrate here is not the achievement of a single organization, but the harvest of collective effort: government leadership, community trust, technical excellence, and unwavering partnership.” She underscored that the R3 Project was born out of an urgent need to ensure vaccine cold chain equipment remains reliable, maintained, and trusted, reminding participants that without functioning equipment, vaccines cannot be safely stored, and without vaccines communities cannot be protected.
Over its duration, the R3 Project reached all 30 districts, directly supporting 237 health centres across 46 hospitals. Key achievements included structured training for biomedical technicians and vaccine handlers, completion of a national cold chain equipment inventory integrated into Cold Trace, targeted corrective repairs restoring dozens of refrigerators, expanded supervisory coverage reaching over 80% of health centres, and a cultural shift from reactive maintenance to proactive inspection and servicing. The project also piloted digital spare‑parts inventory systems, aligned preventive maintenance with district health planning and budgeting, and ultimately improved the reliability of immunization services nationwide.
A highlight of the workshop was the launch of the R3 Playbook, a practical guide covering the entire Cold Chain Equipment (CCE) lifecycle from procurement to decommissioning. The Playbook defines clear roles, workflows, and data use practices at national, district, and facility levels.
“With the right systems, financing, and training, vaccine cold chains can remain reliable and responsive,” emphasized Dr. Mwali during the launch. “This workshop ensures these gains are sustained long after the project ends.”
Participants also developed a sustainability roadmap to integrate R3 innovations into Rwanda’s national cold chain management system, focusing on workforce capacity, institutional ownership, sustainable financing, and data‑driven decision making. “We’re not just sharing results—we’re building institutional ownership and defining how these systems will thrive in the years ahead,” noted Dr. Kato Kimbugwe, Country Director of Vanguard Economics.
The workshop concluded with firm commitments to institutionalize R3 innovations and embed preventive maintenance into health facility culture and operations. The R3 Initiative’s demonstrated success provides a replicable model for other countries seeking to strengthen immunization infrastructure while building local technical capacity and sustainable systems.
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