The
proposal,
contained
in
a
petition
submitted
by
Jacob
Ngwenya,
Executive
Director
of
the
Zimbabwe
Non‑Communicable
Diseases
Champions
Network
and
one
Ms.
Nhongo
has
won
the
backing
of
Parliament’s
Portfolio
Committee
on
Health
and
Child
Care.
The
health
committee
recommended
a
phased
expansion
of
the
National
AIDS
Council’s
(NAC)
mandate,
the
ring‑fencing
of
health‑related
taxes
and
the
eventual
creation
of
a
single
umbrella
body
to
coordinate
financing
for
all
major
health
challenges.
The
petitioners
noted
that
Zimbabwe’s
fight
against
HIV
and
AIDS,
facilitated
by
the
National
Aids
Council
Act
and
the
AIDS
levy,
dramatically
reduced
infection
rates
and
improved
access
to
treatment.
The
country
has
achieved
the
globally
recognised
95‑95‑95
targets
(95
percent
of
people
living
with
HIV
know
their
status,
95
percent
of
those
diagnosed
are
on
treatment
and
95
percent
of
those
on
treatment
are
virally
suppressed).
However,
the
petitioners
argued
that
Zimbabwe
“now
faces
a
different
epidemic.”
According
to
the
World
Health
Organisation,
NCDs,
mainly
cardiovascular
diseases,
cancer,
chronic
respiratory
diseases
and
diabetes,
account
for
31
percent
of
all
deaths
in
Zimbabwe.
Mental
health
conditions
also
remain
severely
underfunded
and
stigmatised.
To
confront
this
new
burden,
Ngwenya
and
Nhango
proposed
consolidating
all
health‑related
levies
under
a
single
National
Health
Council.
These
would
include
the
existing
AIDS
levy
(0.5
percent
on
individual
and
corporate
income),
the
mobile
and
broadband
health
levy,
“sin
taxes”
on
tobacco
and
alcohol,
the
sugar‑sweetened
beverage
tax
(introduced
in
the
2024
National
Budget),
and
the
0.5
percent
tax
on
fast
food
proposed
in
the
2025
Budget.
“A
unified
framework
would
streamline
resource
allocation
and
facilitate
a
more
coordinated
response,”
the
petitioners
told
the
committee.
Presenting
the
Report
of
the
Portfolio
Committee
on
Health
and
Child
Care
on
the
Petition
from
Ngwenya
and
Nhango
on
Tuesday,
MP
Discent
Bajila
moved
that
the
House
consider
and
adopt
the
committee’s
recommendations.
After
receiving
oral
evidence
from
Ngwenya
and
from
the
Ministry
of
Health
and
Child
Care,
led
by
Secretary
Dr
Aspect
Maunganidze,
accompanied
by
NAC
CEO
Dr
Bernard
Madzima,
the
committee
made
two
core
findings.
First,
while
the
government
has
introduced
a
cocktail
of
taxes
earmarked
for
NCDs,
sugar
tax,
fast‑food
tax,
sin
taxes
and
the
airtime
levy,
none
of
these
revenues
are
ring‑fenced.
They
flow
into
the
Consolidated
Revenue
Fund,
meaning
the
connection
between
the
levy
and
intended
health
outcomes
is
weakened.
“Without
ring‑fencing,
the
potential
to
meaningfully
address
the
growing
NCD
burden
remains
unrealised,”
the
committee
observed.
Accordingly,
the
committee
recommended
that
the
Ministry
of
Health
and
the
Treasury
should
enact
legislation
to
ring‑fence
all
revenues
from
taxes
on
sugar,
fast
foods,
tobacco,
alcohol
and
the
health
levy.
These
funds
must
be
channeled
exclusively
to
the
prevention
and
management
of
NCDs
and
mental
health
conditions.
The
committee
urged
this
measure
be
reflected
in
the
2027
National
Budget
to
guarantee
predictable,
sustainable
financing.
On
the
petitioners’
proposal
to
repeal
the
National
Aids
Council
Act
and
create
a
National
Health
Council,
the
committee
endorsed
the
Ministry’s
cautious,
phased
approach.
The
Ministry
warned
that
imposing
new
obligations
on
the
NAC
at
a
time
when
the
country
has
not
yet
fully
overcome
the
HIV
and
AIDS
epidemic
and
while
the
council
is
already
affected
by
the
withdrawal
of
US
government
funding,
could
dilute
hard‑won
gains.
Instead,
the
Ministry
recommended
a
hybrid,
gradual
transition
that
builds
on
the
NAC’s
existing
integrated
disease
management
model.
The
committee
was
satisfied
that
NAC
has
the
capacity
to
take
on
NCDs
and
mental
health,
noting
that
the
council
already
engages
with
NCDs
because
many
people
living
with
HIV
also
suffer
from
hypertension,
diabetes
and
cancers.
The
committee
also
noted
NAC
has
a
consistent
track
record
of
clean
audits
and
unqualified
audit
opinions
from
the
Auditor‑General,
with
no
adverse
findings
over
successive
years.
The
committee
therefore
recommended
a
short
to
medium
term
plan
where
the
Fourth
Zimbabwe
National
HIV
and
AIDS
Strategy
Plan
(ZINASP
4,
2026‑2030)
must
articulate
a
clear
roadmap
for
expanding
the
NAC’s
role
in
NCD
and
mental
health
prevention,
using
a
phased
approach
that
does
not
disrupt
ongoing
HIV
programmes.
Another
recommendation
was
long
term,
whereby
in
December
2026,
Parliament
should
enact
legislation
formally
mandating
the
NAC
(or
its
successor)
with
full
responsibility
for
coordinating
NCDs
and
mental
health,
establishing
what
the
petitioners
envisage
as
a
National
Health
Council.
Several
legislators
expressed
support
of
the
petitioners,
highlighting
the
NAC’s
credibility.
“Those
who
looked
after
the
HIV
and
AIDS
collection
got
us
to
95‑95‑95.
That
shows
the
money
was
put
to
good
use
by
knowledgeable
people.
They
should
be
given
a
chance
to
also
look
after
the
sugar
tax
fund.
We
have
not
heard
bad
reports
from
the
use
of
the
AIDS
fund,”
said
MP
Thomas
Muwodzeri.
MP
Phathisiwe
Machangu
noted
NCDs
like
cancer,
diabetes
and
high
blood
pressure
are
troubling
many
families,
especially
in
rural
areas
where
medication
is
often
unavailable.
“If
we
have
a
National
Health
Council,
it
will
make
sure
people
get
assistance
in
well‑demarcated
areas.
But
we
must
start
bit
by
bit,
with
transparency
and
accountability,”
she
said.
MP
Labbanny
Munemo
said
he
supports
ring‑fencing
of
the
sin
tax
on
tobacco,
alcohol,
sugary
drinks
and
fast
food
so
that
money
is
injected
directly
into
prevention.
MP
Lynette
Karenyi-Kore
said
NAC
has
already
proved
its
capacity,
with
“constant
clean
audits,
successful
coordination
of
the
HIV
response.”
“It
is
a
credible,
capable
institution
that
can
take
on
an
extended
role
through
a
phased
approach.
Some
may
argue
that
expanding
its
mandate
would
weaken
the
fight
against
HIV,
but
the
committee
clearly
recommends
a
gradual,
carefully
managed
transition
that
protects
existing
gains.”