Govt to boost health funding

Mukudzei Chingwere

Herald Reporter

Government has announced plans to enhance domestic funding and reconfigure existing resources to ensure the continuity of essential health programmes following the United States’ recent withdrawal of finance for critical healthcare services.

The US administration’s decision to withdraw support for global health initiatives has raised concerns, particularly for developing countries, which relied on this assistance to bolster their healthcare systems.

Although a waiver has been issued to maintain aid for other essential services, the impact of the cut on health programmes is massive.

The Second Republic has made progress in improving the health services which were brought to test with an effective response to the global Covid-19 pandemic and the Government is looking at leveraging on that to provide effective healthcare services.

Zimbabwe is on a drive to improve its services sector and social safety nets in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision of an upper-middle income society and the health services has been identified as one of the sectors in need of a reboot.

In an interview with The Herald,  the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Kwidini said the Government is taking immediate steps to increase national budget allocation for health services, focusing particularly on areas most affected by the US funding withdrawal.

“We are aware of the challenges posed by the withdrawal of US funding and we are committed to ensuring that our health system remains robust,” said Deputy Minister Kwidini.

“The Government is actively increasing domestic funding for health services, which is crucial for our long-term sustainability.

“We are also exploring partnerships with other international organisations to mitigate the impact of this funding gap. Our health system has shown resilience in the past and we will continue to prioritise essential services while improving our operational efficiency.

“We will not allow the withdrawal of external funding to compromise the health of our citizens. Our priority is to safeguard and improve the quality of healthcare across the nation,” said Deputy Minister Kwidini.

He said resources which have been allocated to other critical healthcare services will be reconfigured to ensure that no service will be left behind.

Government’s commitment to improving health services reflects a broader ambition to strengthen the nation’s healthcare infrastructure.

By focusing on sustainable funding and resource management, Zimbabwe aims to build a healthcare system that is not only resilient to external challenges but also capable of meeting the evolving needs of its population.

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