'We Could Not Have Afforded the Care I Received': How PIH’s Right to Health Care Program Saves Lives in Rwanda

Samuel Musabimana was losing hope.

What began as frequent night sweats and fevers quickly turned into extreme weight loss. The 28-year-old father dropped from 83 to 62 kilograms (183 to 137 pounds) over just a few months, prompting him to go to the hospital.

Musabimana, originally from Rwanda, had been living and working as a motorcycle taxi driver in Uganda for several years. He went from clinic to clinic with no diagnosis while his health continued to deteriorate.

Then, he began losing the feeling in his legs.

Musabimana began to struggle to get out of bed in the morning. He tried to continue working but soon lost the use of his lower limbs.

When he visited medical professionals in Kampala, Uganda's capital, doctors asked if he had been in an accident-his MRI scans showed that multiple bones in his back were broken-but he hadn't, and got no closer to a diagnosis.

Eventually, he made the difficult decision to return home to Rwanda, now paralyzed from the waist down and convinced he was going to die.

"I told myself, if I am going to die, let it be near my family, not as a burden to strangers," Musabimana said.

"Partners In Health Gave Me Back My Life"

With the help of church members, Musabimana made his way back to Rwanda and was admitted to the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), the country's first and biggest health care institution.

He remained there for six months, and doctors eventually determined Musabimana needed to see a specialist-but that it would take three months to get an appointment.

In the meantime, Musabimana was referred to a hospital closer to his home, the Partners In Health (PIH)-supported Kirehe District Hospital, so he could live with his sister while he waited.

There was another problem, though.

The months of intense care and hospitalization had totally depleted Musabimana's savings. He was running out of options to continue his care.

With intention and care, Samuel goes through his physical exercises, a daily habit recommended by his doctor. Asher Habinshuti / PIH

At the Kirehe District Hospital, a doctor told him about Inshuti Mu Buzima (IMB), as PIH is known in Rwanda, and the organization's Right to Health Care (RTHC) program. RTHC ensures that people living in poverty can access medical services without financial barriers.

Through the RTHC program, PIH covered the cost of Musabimana's medications, provided transportation to and from hospitals, and arranged advanced diagnostic services. With this financial support, Musabimana was eventually able to return to CHUK, where he finally received his diagnosis.

Musabimana had extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, a form of the disease that impacts parts of the body outside the lungs.

"I still remember the day the doctor told me that he had found the diagnosis," Musabimana said. "I was happy to finally know what I was suffering from, and I had hope again when they told me it was a curable disease."

Despite being entirely preventable and treatable for decades, tuberculosis (TB) remains the world's deadliest infectious disease. Expensive treatment costs driven by long-held patents, a lack of health care infrastructure after decades of colonialism, and low health care worker capacity means that millions of people die needlessly from TB every year.

After his diagnosis, Musabimana immediately started a treatment regime.

Samuel sits in the living room, reading a book on basic computer science, part of his goal to keep learning and grow his knowledge in a field he's passionate about. After years of uncertainty, he's now focused on the future and building new skills. Asher Habinshuti / PIH

Now, more than two years have passed between the beginning of his symptoms and receiving the correct diagnosis. Today, after consistent medication and physiotherapy, Musabimana is no longer confined to bed. He can walk short distances, carry up to four kilograms (nearly nine pounds), bathe, cook, and manage basic daily tasks on his own-activities he once thought impossible.

"Partners In Health gave me back my life," he said. "Even if we had sold everything we owned, we could not have afforded the care I received. I am who I am today because of PIH. For that, I will always be thankful."

From 2024 to 2025 alone, PIH's Right to Health Care program has supported more than 1500 patients across three districts in Rwanda, providing financial, social, and logistical support to ensure that health care is truly a human right for everyone.