BULAWAYO
–
The
Ministry
of
Health
and
Child
Care
has
announced
plans
to
fast-track
the
launch
of
a
long-awaited
National
Health
Insurance
(NHI)
scheme,
set
to
take
effect
in
June
2026,
in
a
move
aimed
at
widening
access
to
affordable
healthcare
for
all
Zimbabweans.
Health
Minister
Dr
Douglas
Mombeshora
made
the
announcement
during
the
Zimbabwe
Medical
Association
(ZiMA)
annual
Scientific
Congress
in
Bulawayo
last
Friday,
stressing
that
universal
health
coverage
was
now
a
national
priority.
“We
are
determined
to
ensure
every
Zimbabwean
can
access
quality
health
care
without
financial
hardship.
The
NHI
fund
will
guarantee
free
access
to
essential
health
services,
from
consultations
to
surgery,
with
contributions
raised
through
targeted
taxes,”
Dr
Mombeshora
said.
Currently,
only
about
13
percent
of
Zimbabweans
are
covered
by
medical
aid
schemes,
leaving
the
majority
to
pay
out-of-pocket
for
healthcare.
Dr
Mombeshora
said
the
NHI
would
help
close
that
gap
by
pooling
resources
through
existing
taxes
such
as
the
sugar
levy
and
airtime
tax,
which
will
be
ring-fenced
for
health.
The
minister
said
the
draft
Bill
underpinning
the
scheme
has
already
been
revised
twice
and
approved
in
principle
by
cabinet.
“We
have
completed
consultations
with
the
finance
ministry
on
revenue
streams.
The
next
stage
is
parliament’s
approval,
after
which
operationalisation
will
begin,”
he
added.
The
urgency
of
the
reforms
was
echoed
by
health
secretary
Dr
Aspect
Maunganidze,
who
told
the
Health
Sector
Working
Group
meeting
last
week
that
local
funding
mechanisms
had
become
critical
following
the
withdrawal
of
United
States
government
support
for
key
programmes
tackling
HIV,
TB
and
malaria.
“One
of
the
pressing
issues
we
must
confront
is
sustainable
health
financing.
The
gap
left
by
US
funding
is
significant,
and
while
partners
continue
to
support
us,
we
must
strengthen
our
own
systems.
The
NHI
is
one
of
the
solutions,
but
treasury
must
also
provide
predictable
and
consistent
financing,”
Dr
Maunganidze
said.
He
urged
the
government
to
align
with
the
Abuja
Declaration,
which
commits
African
states
to
allocate
15
percent
of
their
national
budgets
to
health.
“Health
is
not
an
expense;
it
is
an
investment.
Every
dollar
we
put
into
health
today
saves
lives,
boosts
productivity
and
reduces
future
costs,”
he
said.
Despite
financial
constraints,
Zimbabwe
has
made
notable
progress
in
some
health
indicators.
The
2023–24
Zimbabwe
Demographic
and
Health
Survey
shows
maternal
mortality
dropping
from
651
deaths
per
100,000
live
births
in
2015
to
212
in
2024,
while
life
expectancy
has
risen
from
61
years
to
64.4
years.
Women
now
live
an
average
of
68
years.
However,
neonatal
mortality
remains
a
major
concern,
with
rates
climbing
to
37
deaths
per
1,000
live
births
—
the
highest
on
record.
“This
is
a
call
to
action.
We
must
strengthen
perinatal
and
neonatal
care
and
ensure
a
continuum
of
support
for
mothers
and
infants,”
Dr
Maunganidze
warned.
The
ministry
said
plans
are
also
underway
to
modernise
central
hospitals,
restock
essential
medicines,
and
rehabilitate
health
infrastructure
to
improve
service
delivery.
Zimbabwe
has
been
considering
the
NHI
for
nearly
25
years,
but
Dr
Mombeshora
insisted
that
the
current
push
marks
a
decisive
step
forward.
“We
now
have
the
principles,
the
draft
Bill,
and
the
political
will.
It’s
time
to
make
universal
health
coverage
a
reality,”
he
said.