Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of 2026-10-02
Who 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 76= of 198 countries (likely range 55 to 98), in the Weak band (25 to 44). Who holds the keys: State. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of 2026-10-02.
The government decides, with limited individual say. Its strongest right against the other countries is clinical AI governance (55, against a median of 30 across 198 countries); no right falls below the median, and the closest to it is patient control and consent (30, median 30).
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 · this country's data as of 2026-10-02 · research tool, not legal advice
44overall, of 100 · Weak
76=rank of 198
Statewho holds the keys
mediumconfidence
89 · Goldevidence grade (DTI)
Can I get my health records in Rwanda?
Access to the full record scores 50 of 100 in Rwanda, against a median of 43 across 198 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 30 across 198 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 Eswatini, Seychelles, South Africa and the EU
Patient access to the full record20%
50
40 · 40 · 40
Patient control and consent20%
30
35 · 42 · 42
Privacy and security15%
52
55 · 45 · 60
Connected care journey15%
46
50 · 52 · 33
Protection from commercial use10%
50
42 · 40 · 50
Clinician access at the point of care10%
34
45 · 50 · 32
Research and trial consent5%
50
46 · 46 · 50
Clinical AI governance5%
55
25 · 20 · 48
Black dot: Rwanda. Hollow dots: Eswatini, Seychelles, South Africa (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 198 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Rwanda 44, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; read the rank with its likely range.
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 198-country median, weighted, are patient control and consent (30, median 30) and clinician access at the point of care (34, median 34). 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.
Clinician access at the point of care: Treating clinicians able to see the full record across providers, under consent and emergency rules.
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 found no rules on emergency access or on private clinics joining e-Ubuzima."
In 2026, Rwanda scored 44 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record, rank 76= of 198 countries (likely range 55 to 98) (Weak; who holds the keys: State). Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of 2026-10-02, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/RWA/
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Questions, corrections or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI: SuperTruth's Data Trust Index, grading the evidence behind each score. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/RWA/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Text and scores CC BY 4.0.
