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Children increasingly at risk as drug-resistant infections rise in Rwanda
Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) has raised alarm over the growing presence of drug-resistant microorganisms in the human body, pathogens that no longer respond to available medicines, warning that misuse of antibiotics is driving infections that are increasingly difficult and costly to treat, putting people, especially children, at higher risk.
RBC made the revelation on 21 November 2025 during a consultative meeting that brought together pediatricians and other health professionals to discuss the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance.
According to RBC’s 2019 research, drug-resistant infections may have caused 9,800 deaths in Rwanda, while global findings from 2022 estimate that 1.3 billion people were affected worldwide.
Dr. Isabelle Mukagatare, Head of the Public Health Department at RBC, explained to Imvaho nsha that improper use of antibiotics remains the biggest cause of rising resistance.
“There are different categories of medicines used to treat infections. But due to misuse of antibiotics, some microorganisms have become resistant to first and second-line drugs, forcing us to rely on higher level medicines that are expensive and difficult to access,” she said.
She emphasized that self-medication, buying drugs illegally, and failure to follow prescriptions fuel the mutation and strengthening of these microorganisms.
“When a doctor prescribes medication, take it exactly as instructed and for the full number of days. That is the only way we ensure the bacteria die,” she added.
Dr. Mukagatare also noted that Rwanda has taken measures to curb resistance, including public awareness on proper drug use, improving hygiene, training pharmacists and clinicians, and strengthening laboratory capacity to detect pathogens and their variants.
Dr. Rosine Tuyisenge, President of the Rwanda Pediatric Association, highlighted that children are among the most affected because they are frequently given antibiotics, often inappropriately, which can lead to severe complications or death when resistance develops.
She pointed out that respiratory illnesses are among the most common conditions treated with antibiotics, yet many parents resort to unregulated treatment options.
“When children do not improve, it means the medicine is no longer working. They continue to worsen, and this can lead to death because the drug is ineffective,” she warned.
