Who Holds the Record · country brief · data as of 2026-10-02Who holds the health record in Rwanda?
In 2026, Rwanda scores 44 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 55 of 65 countries, in the Weak band (25 to 44). Who holds the keys: State. Source: Who Holds the Record, SuperTruth, data as of 2026-10-02.
Rwanda's 2025 health law gives patients their file within five working days, but the state record is still rolling out with no sharing controls.
Published · updated · data as of 2026-10-02 · research tool, not legal advice
Can I get my health records in Rwanda?
Access to the full record scores 50 of 100 in Rwanda, against a median of 62 across 65 countries. Law 026/2025 gives patients the right to consult their file and get a copy within five working days of a written request. A national patient app is planned, and whether patients can see their own records online today is not verified.
Can I control who sees my health record in Rwanda?
Control and consent scores 30 of 100 in Rwanda, against a median of 52 across 65 countries. The law requires consent or another legal ground, but health processing for care and public health needs no separate consent, and records are linked to the national ID. We found no opt-out and no access log patients can see.
Eight rights, against South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and the EU
| Patient access to the full record20% | 50 | 40 · 55 · 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient control and consent20% | 30 | 42 · 44 · 30 | |
| Privacy and security15% | 52 | 60 · 55 · 45 | |
| Connected care journey15% | 46 | 33 · 45 · 35 | |
| Protection from commercial use10% | 50 | 50 · 52 · 48 | |
| Clinician access at the point of care10% | 34 | 32 · 42 · 28 | |
| Research and trial consent5% | 50 | 50 · 50 · 49 | |
| Clinical AI governance5% | 55 | 48 · 48 · 40 |
Black dot: Rwanda. Hollow dots: South Africa, Kenya, Ghana (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 65 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Rwanda 44, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; gaps of 4 or less are ties.
What would Rwanda need to change to score higher?
Rwanda sits in Weak (25 to 44); Mixed starts at 45. The two rights furthest below the 65-country median, weighted, are patient control and consent (30, median 52) and patient access to the full record (50, median 62). The published rubric reads:
- Patient control and consent: An opt-out or opt-in, a patient-visible access log and granular choices together put control at 60 to 80.
- Patient access to the full record: A national portal showing at least part of the record (summary, prescriptions, labs) to most residents puts access at 60 to 75; a near-full record with export, long history and majority use, 76 to 90.
Which laws give health record rights in Rwanda?
- Law n° 058/2021 relating to the protection of personal data and privacy (2021): Health is sensitive data; copy right; 48-hour breach notice; storage in Rwanda; prison for selling data.
- Law n° 026/2025 regulating healthcare services (2025): Patient file copy in five working days; confidentiality; encryption of patient data; ten-year retention.
- Law n° 015/2022 relating to research on a human being (2022): Ethics committee approval; written, revocable consent; reuse of research data needs fresh permission.
Strain and split context, not scored
- Doctors per 10,000
- 1.8 2024
- Nurses and midwives per 10,000
- 12.8 2024
- Private insurance + out-of-pocket
- 13.4% 2023
- Record reaches private care?
- unknown
Compulsory private insurance, counted separately: 2.6% of health spending (2023).
"We did not verify whether private clinics or pharmacies are connected"
Published stories
- none published in the last two years
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