Dr. Claudine Uwimana

Dr. Claudine Uwimana is a consultant psychiatrist at Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda's principal psychiatric facility and a regional reference centre for mental health care in East Africa. With 14 years of experience, she specialises in trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), community psychiatry, and mood disorders. Dr. Uwimana's work is particularly significant in Rwanda's post-genocide context, where she has contributed to trauma-informed psychiatric care and community mental health programmes addressing the lingering psychological impact of mass trauma on the Rwandan population. She combines clinical expertise with a commitment to community outreach and mental health advocacy.

Dr. Uwimana completed her MD at the University of Rwanda and pursued her Masters of Medicine (MMed) in Psychiatry, the recognised postgraduate pathway for psychiatric specialisation in East Africa. She undertook specific training in trauma-focused therapies, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) and narrative exposure therapy, acquiring skills specifically relevant to Rwanda's post-conflict mental health needs. She has benefited from collaborative training programmes with international partners including Partners in Health (PIH) and has participated in WHO mental health gap action programme (mhGAP) trainer courses. She is board certified in psychiatry within the Rwandan specialist system.

Dr. Uwimana provides specialist psychiatric assessment and treatment across a broad range of mental health conditions. Her trauma expertise encompasses PTSD, complex trauma, and grief reactions, applying evidence-based trauma-focused therapies within both individual and group settings. She manages unipolar and bipolar affective disorders using pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches, and provides psychiatric care for psychosis within community and inpatient settings. Her community psychiatry work involves supervising and supporting primary care and community health workers in mental health case identification and initial management, extending specialist psychiatric reach across Rwanda.

Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital serves as the primary psychiatric referral centre for Rwanda and attracts referrals from neighbouring countries. Dr. Uwimana consults in English, French, and Kinyarwanda. The hospital has experience managing expatriate and internationally mobile patients requiring psychiatric assessment and care. Rwanda's strong health sector governance, improving infrastructure, and direct air links from Kigali support access for medical travellers from across the region. Kigali is noted for its safety and cleanliness, making it a welcoming environment for visiting patients and families.

Dr. Uwimana has been recognised by Rwanda's Ministry of Health and international mental health organisations for her contributions to trauma-informed psychiatric care and community mental health development. She has been commended for her work in genocide survivor mental health support programmes and her contribution to training primary care providers in mental health identification. She has presented at African psychiatry conferences and participated in international forums on post-conflict mental health intervention.