The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu in Harare, Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE has been sitting on the Public Health Act for the past 90 years which should be assisting the operations of the health ministry in respect of a good health status for the nation, Sunday News can exclusive reveal.
This was said by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Gerald Gwinji at a Public Health Act review meeting in Harare today.
“In Zimbabwe the Public Health Act 15.09 this is a 1924 instrument, it is a principle law regulating public health matters in Zimbabwe being administered by the health ministry in protecting public health in various levels over the last 90 years. This is a bill that has not been reviewed for the past 90 years,” said Dr Gwinji.
The lack of the holistic review in 90 years, Dr Gwinji said, has led to a number of shortfalls too. He said since 1924 it has not been reviewed and is now a mere piece of paper with good principles but with a lot of gaps.
“It has shortfalls, gaps and we now have new areas that we need to talk about and as it stands it does not address the current public health issues for instance it does not address non communicable diseases maternal health, crossbred risks new epidemics to name a few.
It does not talk to new methodologies that are there today, it has failed to incorporate norms and constitutional provisions and individuals and social rights. It also does not reflect on post-independence health policies and also falls short in the areas of terminology,” he noted.
He said in 1993 attempts were made to review the act but hit a brick wall.
During the meeting Members of Parliament present said the concern largely centers on the time the ministry has taken to revise the act to make it relevant to today.
They questioned why it has taken 90 years to make it a functional document
Dr Gwinji however said the draft bill is now at the Attorney Generals office.
“The draft bill is at the AG’s office, when we propose something we send it to the Cabinet committee on legislation and it sails through, we took it to Cabinet and there was a lot of movement as it was being looked at but it was approved by the principles of the Public Health Act. After this we will formally drafted it and we are looking forward to it going through this current parliamentary session,” he said.
He said after parliamentarians look at it then it is brought to the people for further consultation before it can be passed.
The chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health Dr Ruth Labode said Zimbabwe has to adopt global health and public policies.
“We are not aligning our present state with what is happening in the country and the whole world because our bill is outdated, we need to improve on that as a matter of urgency,” she said.
She said a strong and updated policy will give guidance to the envisaged future. She said it will govern the health sector once in place.
Ministers of health that have had a peek in to the bill and not managed to implemented much include Dr Timothy Stamps, Dr David Parirenyatwa, Dr Henry Madzorera and now Dr Parirenyatwa again heads the health ministry and has started making headways to ensure the bill is passed in to law and is effective for the benefit of public health.
Dr Labode questioned the parliamentarians and the permanent secretary why the bill was not sailing through yet other ministries have their bills enacted much quicker.
“What is it that is in the bill that is stopping it form sailing through, other ministries have it easy. We are still dribbling and want it to be finalized as soon as possible,” she said.
The former deputy minister of Health and Child Care Dr Paul Chimedza also weighed in the discussion saying the bill is out dated and there are many changes on the health front.
“A lot of things were not there when it was drafted, disease paten and burden are different now, you cannot then use that act of 1924 to deal with the current situation in Zimbabwe’s health sector.
“Looking at things like HIV and disease outbreaks, they were not covered in the old bill. Even immunisation, today we have no law that compels a parent to have their child immunized so it is purely at the discretion of the parent to have the child immunized or not.
“This way diseases spread because we have no law that will make that mother to immunize the child,” said Dr Chimedza.
