The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare has achieved significant milestones in advancing the 11 priority outcomes laid out in the National Development Strategy (NDS1) and the National Health Strategy (NHS) 2021–2025 despite challenges, a Cabinet Minister said.
Speaking at the ministry’s end-of-year review meeting on Wednesday, Health and Childcare Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said this was after a fair amount of resources was received from the treasury, enabling reduction in morbidity and mortality resulting from communicable and non-communicable diseases.
He also noted strides in controlling malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. Malaria cases dropped by 76 percent, and deaths by 69 percent this year.
He also lauded the Ministry’s management of the 2023 cholera outbreak, and said a recent outbreak in Kariba had been brought under control. He, however, stressed the need for sustainable water and sanitation solutions in tackling cholera.
“Resources have been allocated from the treasury towards procurement of cancer treatment machines. We continue to register successes in the fight against communicable diseases such as TB and HIV,” Mombeshora said.
“In 2024, our reports have shown a 76% decline in Malaria (cases) and 69% decline in Malaria deaths. We also successfully managed to control a protracted Cholera outbreak which started in 2023.
“Whilst cases (of cholera) have been reported in Kariba recently the situation is under control. We, however, continue to advocate for the relevant sectors to address the major drivers particularly the water and sanitation issues in the country,” said Mombeshora, He also acknowledged progress in reducing maternal mortality and stunting rates, while flagging the need for intensified efforts to reduce new-born deaths.
“No woman should die while giving life,” he declared. He said government had identified an investor, NMS Infrastructure Pvt(Ltd), a British company, to partner it in building state-of-the-art hospitals using new technologies.
“To date, several such institutions have been constructed, and six district hospitals are in the pipeline, and this will include one to be constructed in Harare to decongest the central hospital and improve the quality of care at our Quaternary Institutions,” Mombeshora said.
He also commended the government initiative to drill 35,000 boreholes around the country, saying this would help in improving health.
He added that his ministry had developed an Essential Health Service Package to improve access to various levels of health services. “Our focus in 2025 is to improve service delivery at all levels; the medicines must be there, the adequate staff, diagnostics and all that is needed to offer the service.
“I call upon all our institutions to be innovative in running the health institutions, lets maximise on the few resources that we are getting; I want More Health for the Money, lets reduce wastages and always be effective and efficient,” he implored.
New Ziana
