Rwanda of 1884 assigned the territory to Germany as part of German East Africa, marking the beginning of the colonial era. The explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen was the first European to significantly explore the country in 1894; he crossed from the south-east to Lake Kivu and met the king. The Germans did not significantly alter the social structure of the country, but exerted influence by supporting the king and the existing hierarchy and delegating power to local chiefs. Belgian forces took control of Rwanda and Burundi in 1916, during World War I, beginning a period of more direct colonial rule.
HIV/AIDS in Rwanda health reconstruction efforts after the war. "Vision 2020", the national development plan which aims to make Rwanda a lower-middle income-country by 2020, includes health as a central aspect of development and guides the national allocation of resources. Rwanda favors a multi-sectoral approach to health care, and, while funding for the health system is heavily dependent on donor aid, State ownership and control over policy is strong. There has been growing availability of HIV testing, care, and treatment services in Rwanda since 2000. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) was first introduced in 1999. The 2005–2009 Health Sector Strategic Plan names as one of