Raissa Teteli, MD, M(Ped)

Dr. Raissa Teteli is the senior pediatrician and allergist-immunologist at Dream Medical Center, a private hospital in Kigali, and a physician advocate for access to pediatric palliative care in the public health system. Dr. Teteli received her undergraduate and master’s degrees in pediatrics from the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Rwanda (UR). After completing her pediatric residency at UR, she worked at one of the biggest referral hospitals in Rwanda (CHUK) in the neonatology unit, where she was also the head of the unit. Her passion for palliative care started while managing extremely premature babies and babies born with congenital diseases and abnormalities. A holistic approach to palliative care in the management of sick babies and anxious families was paramount.

Dr. Teteli is an expert clinician whose frontline experience in the rapidly evolving Rwandan health system has provided rich and credible commentary on innovations in pediatrics, mostly neonatology and health service delivery in Rwanda. Dr. Teteli has contributed to the post-conflict rebuilding of Rwanda’s health system following the 1994 genocide. She served on key Ministry of Health working groups that spearhead health systems development in the country, including the Pediatric care technical committee, leading the Rwanda immunization technical advisory group, mentorship in different district hospitals in the country, etc.

Dr. Teteli, being among the Rwandan pioneer’s trainers in pediatric palliative care and also in emergency triage assessment and treatment (ETAT), her passion for sick children pushes her to always keep up with pediatric up-to-date research on the quality of life even during life-threatening illness by alleviating suffering through the treatment of pain and relief of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual problems in Rwanda.