Gates made the remarks during a visit to UGHE’s Butaro campus on July 22, 2026, where he was received by the university’s leadership led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Philip Cotton.
During his visit, Gates paid tribute to Dr. Paul Farmer, the university’s co-founder, who passed away in 2022. He described Farmer’s contribution to global healthcare as a lasting legacy.
“I want to honor the legacy of the man who helped build this place—my dear friend, Paul Farmer. Earlier today, I had the opportunity to visit Paul’s grave here at UGHE. I also had the chance to plant a tree at his memorial, one of the California redwoods Paul introduced to Butaro. Standing there reminded me of my very first, unforgettable visit to Rwanda.”
Gates said that although Paul Farmer is no longer alive, his vision and contributions to global health will continue to inspire future generations.
In his keynote address, Gates commended Rwanda for the remarkable progress it has made in public health, particularly in reducing maternal mortality and deaths among children under the age of five.
UGHE is one of the institutions dedicated to transforming healthcare systems through education, research, and innovation.
The university also launched the Paul E. Farmer Butaro Dialogues, a series of discussions focused on addressing the remaining challenges in maternal, newborn, and child healthcare.
The dialogues were organized in partnership with the Consortium of Medical Schools–Africa (COMS-A).
The event brought together government officials, university leaders, researchers, healthcare professionals, development partners, non-governmental organizations, students, and young innovators.
Discussions centered on closing the gap between proven health innovations and their implementation in maternal, newborn, and child healthcare systems.
Health experts noted that maternal and child deaths are not only caused by a lack of medical knowledge, but also by challenges in delivering proven solutions where they are needed most, securing sustainable funding, and maintaining long-term implementation.
According to Rwanda’s latest health statistics, 95% of births take place in health facilities. The country records 203 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, 19 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births, 45 deaths of children under five per 1,000 live births, and 33 infant deaths (under one year of age) per 1,000 live births.
UGHE Vice Chancellor Prof. Philip Cotton called on the international community to rethink how it invests in global health.
“Today, we call on the global health community to examine the gap between what we claim to value and what we actually fund—and to work together to close that gap.”
UGHE has operated in Rwanda since 2015, with campuses in Kigali and Butaro. The Kigali campus primarily offers graduate programs in Global Health Delivery, while the Butaro campus was officially inaugurated by President Paul Kagame in January 2019.
The university follows an academic model comparable to that of Harvard University in the United States, with similar curricula, teaching methods, and several faculty members affiliated with Harvard.
Courtesy of IGIHE
