Key Points
- Zimbabwe allocates only 9.8% of its budget to health, below targets.
- Public resources alone are insufficient; private investments are crucial.
- Critical shortages of staff, equipment, and drugs undermine healthcare delivery.
Zimbabwe’s health sector is struggling with severe underfunding, posing significant obstacles to achieving universal health coverage by 2030, according to Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora. Speaking at a High-Level National Health Financing Dialogue in Harare on Thursday, Mombeshora highlighted persistent budget shortfalls and their impact on healthcare delivery.
Falling short of the Abuja declaration
According to a report by Newsday, Mombeshora criticized the government’s consistent failure to meet the 15% budget allocation target set by the 2001 Abuja Declaration. “In 2024, only 9.8% of the total budget was allocated to health,” he said, describing the shortfall as a critical barrier to improving primary healthcare services.
The Abuja Declaration, agreed upon by African Union countries, aimed to ensure a minimum of 15% of national budgets is directed toward health. Zimbabwe’s failure to meet this benchmark has left the sector struggling to provide essential services, with shortages of equipment, medications, and personnel.
Despite the funding challenges, Mombeshora noted progress in reducing malaria cases by 76% and advancing towards the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets for combating HIV/AIDS.
The need for strategic partnerships
Mombeshora emphasized the need for efficiency in health spending, urging the government to maximize the impact of every dollar allocated. “Public resources alone cannot meet the growing demands for quality healthcare,” he said, calling for private sector investments, international partnerships, and civil society support.
Plans for a national health insurance scheme aimed at creating a sustainable funding mechanism are underway, but the minister acknowledged that progress has been slow. “Investing in health is not just a social responsibility; it’s an economic imperative. A dollar spent on health yields a tenfold return,” he added.
Systemic challenges and criticism
Zimbabwe’s health sector faces additional challenges, including an exodus of experienced medical personnel, equipment shortages, and insufficient drug supplies. Critics have accused government officials of neglecting the sector while accessing foreign medical care at the expense of taxpayers.
Mombeshora’s remarks underscore the urgent need for strategic reforms and increased investment to bridge funding gaps and rebuild the nation’s healthcare infrastructure. Without swift action, the goal of universal health coverage by 2030 remains in jeopardy.
