At #ButaroDialogues, Mr. Bill Gates reflected on Rwanda’s remarkable progress in reducing maternal mortality and called for continued collaboration to ensure proven tools and innovations reach every mother, newborn, and community that needs them. “It is not a mystery what we need to do. We understand the challenge, and we have the tools to act.” Mr. Bill Gates articulates. He also paid tribute to Paul Farmer’s enduring legacy, describing UGHE as a testament to what Paul believed was possible and noting that it is comforting to see that legacy continue in Butaro. Mr. Gates commended UGHE’s One Health approach to making health more equitable and highlighted COMS-A as an important platform bringing medical schools together to improve outcomes across the continent. #HealthEquity #MaternalNewbornHealth #HealthInnovation

In his remarks, at #ButaroDialogues, Prof. @abebesurg, the #UGHE DVC of Academic and Research Affairs, and @coms_africa Secretary General, reflected on why Butaro is the right place to host a conversation about the future of global health. He reminded participants that Butaro represents the conviction Paul Farmer lived: that education, research, and clinical care should be rooted alongside the communities that need them most. He emphasized that the challenge before global health is not discovery alone, but translation: moving innovation into implementation, policy, education, research, and routine clinical practice so proven interventions reach every woman and every child, wherever they live. Prof. Abebe also highlighted the role of the Butaro Dialogues as a convening platform led by UGHE and COMS-A, to identify promising maternal and newborn health innovations, embed them in medical education, and support governments to adopt them at scale.

We are honoured to welcome H.E Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda, as the Guest of Honour at the inaugural Paul E. Farmer #ButaroDialogues on Health Equity and Innovation. Her presence at the Butaro Campus emphasizes Rwanda’s continued commitment to health equity, maternal and newborn health, and the power of innovation to improve lives and reach communities where it matters most. #ButaroDialogues #HealthEquity #HealthInnovation #MaternalNewbornHealth

Applications are now open for UGHE’s 6th cohort of the Global Leadership in Nursing and Midwifery Certificate Program. Join this nine-month executive education program that equips practicing nurses and midwives with the leadership skills needed to strengthen nursing and midwifery practice, improve population health, and respond to 21st-century health challenges in Rwanda and across Africa. Apply by May 30, 2026: go.ughe.org/GLNM-2026

Registration is now open for #MedEdAfrica2026. From July 6 to 8, 2026, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, MedEdAfrica 2026 will convene leaders from government, academia, health systems, student communities, and the private sector to advance practical, evidence-informed approaches that improve training quality and strengthen health system outcomes across Africa. Hosted by the Ministry of Health, Ethiopia in partnership with the Consortium of Medical Schools - Africa (COMS-A), this year’s conference is themed: Preparing Africa’s Health Workforce for an Uncertain Future: Harnessing Partnerships, Technology, Innovation, and Leadership. More than a conference, MedEdAfrica 2026 is a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and action on the future of medical education and health workforce development across the continent. If you are a medical educator, health leader, researcher, student, policymaker, or institutional partner, this is a conversation you should be part of. Register now and join the movement advancing medical education in Africa. To register and submit your abstracts: go.ughe.org/mededafrica2026