Community Health and Social Medicine

Nested in the hills of Butaro Sector, Burera District, the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) campus is strategically located to foster deep partnerships with the surrounding community. This setting offers students, staff, faculty and guests a firsthand understanding of the complex challenges faced by rural and remote populations through our strategic priorities. Central to the Department of Community Health and Social Medicine’s work are three mains strategic priorities: education, research and community engagement

Community Based Education

Community Based Education (CBE) is the department’s top educational priority, serving as a key approach to medical education that immerses students in the community to ensure learning aligns with local healthcare needs. Through CBE, students gain firsthand experience with the socio-economic factors influencing health outcomes and understand their role in addressing these challenges.

Over the past five years, UGHE has successfully integrated CBE as a core component of its MBBS/MGHD program, aiming to equip future physicians with advanced clinical knowledge and the skills to implement effective public health solutions. A total of 216 students across five cohorts have participated, with 66 completing all five modules, 107 completing the first three, and 2016 completing the first.

Additionally, 249 community faculty members, 174 community health workers and 75 healthcare professionals, have been trained to teach students. To maximize mutual benefit, students through CBE screened 2,567 community members for non-communicable diseases, leading to 237 referrals for further medical care.

Isooko Global Community Base Education (G-CBE) Program

Named Isooko, meaning “source,” the Global Community-Based Education (G-CBE) program is a three-week immersive experience in Burera District, Northern Rwanda. Inspired by the success of CBE at UGHE, it is designed for students pursuing advanced degrees in health-related fields such as medicine, nursing, public health, and global health. Hosted by the Department of Community Health and Social Medicine at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), the program fosters community health and education through participatory, hands-on learning and engagement.

G-CBE applies a radical CBE approach, recognizing communities as experts, teachers, and advisors in identifying health challenges and developing public health solutions. Students,

primarily from universities in the West, engage directly with rural Rwanda, challenging their own biases while learning from local practitioners and community leaders.

The program includes 15 field visits across Rwanda, with a strong emphasis on rural areas. Through team-based learning projects, social medicine activities, and case-based learning, students develop collaborative and practical problem-solving skills. They also participate in both individual and group projects, applying their knowledge to real-world health challenges.

Since its launch in 2023, G-CBE has welcomed two cohorts of 25 students from institutions such as the University of Rwanda, Harvard University, Brown University, Creighton University, Boston University, Mayo Clinic, Wellesley College, and the School of Leadership Afghanistan

Community Based Education

Community Engagement

Since the planning stages of UGHE’s construction in Butaro Sector, Burera District, community engagement has been a top priority. After inauguration in 2019, to further its commitment to maximizing community benefits, UGHE focuses on actively engaging with the local community and implementing various development projects aimed at enhancing the social and economic well-being of community members. Through these efforts, UGHE continues to strengthen its partnership with the community, ensuring sustainable and meaningful impact. Below are some community engagement priorities

Entrepreneurship Training Program

UGHE launched its 12-month Entrepreneurship Training Program in 2021, in collaboration with Inkomoko and local leadership, to support community-based business growth. The program offers a fourstage approach: training, consultancy, access to loans, and market linkages, aimed at enhancing local businesses and livelihoods. Participants receive biweekly training for three months, followed by six months of personalized business consultancy. The program also provides access to market connections and affordable loans for business expansion. Since its inception, the program has shown significant progress. Cohort 1 (March 2021 – March 2022) with 50 participants achieved a 61% increase in monthly revenue, generating $13,360 and creating 154 jobs. Cohort 2 (June 2023 – May 2024) expanded to 78 participants, leading to a 42% revenue increase, resulting in $38,601 in monthly revenue and 37 new jobs. Additionally, 98% of participants adopted new business practices, and both cohorts secured over $50, 000 in loans to further grow their businesses.

Entrepreneurship Training Program

The Butaro Community Health Day is a flagship health education and promotion initiative at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), launched in October 2022 to strengthen community relationships and address the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Rwanda. Leveraging One PIH collaboration efforts, this program fosters meaningful engagement between UGHE residents and the Butaro community through a combination of sports and health awareness activities, and its success relies on the effective collaboration with Butaro Level 2 Teaching Hospital, Partners in Health and the local leadership in Butaro Sector and Burera District.

With two editions, the inaugural in October 2022 and the second planned for February 2025, the Butaro Community Health Day has engaged approximately 2,500 community members through football matches and mass NCD screening sessions. To date, 340 individuals have been screened for diabetes and hypertension, receiving counseling and guidance to enhance community health and well-being.

Butaro Science Day Program

In February 2020, UGHE launched the Butaro Science Day Program to inspire and engage high school science students from communities near the university. The inaugural event engaged students from GS. Runaba in interactive sessions on scientific concepts. Its impact is clear. Two students from GS. Runaba and four more from Burera have since enrolled in UGHE’s medical school.The presence of UGHE in Butaro continues to ignite students’ passion for medicine and science, encouraging them to pursue careers in healthcare. Butaro Science Day contributes to building Rwanda’s future health workforce, ensuring communities benefit from skilled professionals dedicated to improving health equity.

Walk The Talk Plus

Inspired by the Walk The Talk with Dr. Akiiki session for first-year medical school students in the CBT 101 module, focused on the Social Determinants of Health and the Rwanda Health System, UGHE recognize the value of immersive learning experience. During the CBT 101 Walk The Talk session, MBBS28 students identified the need for a learning program to support local primary schools' students, leading to creation of the Butaro Scholars Program, which has since 2022 empowered over 250 local students. Building this impact, Walk the Talk Plus aims to offer the campus community an opportunity to engage with Butaro’s history and culture, build relationships with local community, promote fitness and well-being, and develop community-driven solutions

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Community Health and Social Medicine