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HIS Excellency Mr Zhou Ding, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Zimbabwe, Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr A J V Maunganidze, Chief Medical Officer of the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Dr T M Magure, Distinguished Members of the 22nd and 23rd China Medical Teams, Representatives from hospitals across our country, The Media, Ladies and Gentlemen
Good afternoon.
It is my great pleasure to join you today as we mark the transition from the 22nd to the 23rd China Medical Team. This ceremony represents continuity, partnership, and our shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of the people of Zimbabwe. It is not merely an administrative handover; it is the continuation of a long-standing collaboration that has positively touched countless lives across our nation.
On behalf of the Government and the people of Zimbabwe, I extend my sincere appreciation to the outgoing 22nd China Medical Team for your dedicated and exemplary service. Over the past year and a half, you have worked side by side with our doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, strengthening clinical services and contributing meaningfully to patient care in our institutions, particularly at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
Your commitment has gone beyond the call of duty. You have managed complex cases with skill and precision, introduced new techniques, supported multidisciplinary consultations, and extended services to communities through outreach programmes. Many Zimbabwean families are healthier and more hopeful today because of your expertise and compassion. The professionalism, discipline, humility, and cultural sensitivity you have demonstrated have earned you the respect of your Zimbabwean colleagues and the gratitude of our patients.
Importantly, you have also invested in people. Through mentorship, bedside teaching, joint ward rounds, and clinical discussions, you have strengthened the capacity of our health professionals. The knowledge and experience you have shared will remain long after your departure. For this lasting contribution, Zimbabwe is deeply grateful.
As we warmly welcome the incoming 23rd China Medical Team, we do so with confidence and optimism. You are building upon a strong foundation established by your predecessors. We encourage you to continue fostering teamwork, mutual learning, and open collaboration with your Zimbabwean counterparts. We look forward to your active participation not only in clinical care but also in training, research, and public health initiatives.
We are particularly pleased by the inclusion of a public health expert in this new team. Zimbabwe is intensifying its efforts to strengthen disease surveillance systems, laboratory networks and outbreak preparedness mechanisms. Collaboration in epidemiology, infectious disease prevention and control, and health systems planning will support our strategic shift toward prevention-centred and data-driven healthcare delivery. Your expertise in this field comes at a timely and critical moment.
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
Zimbabwe’s health sector continues to undergo transformation, guided by our national development priorities. Under Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2, our goal is clear: to build a modern, efficient, resilient, and equitable health system that ensures universal access to quality healthcare services for every citizen, regardless of geographic location or income level.
We are strengthening primary healthcare delivery as the backbone of our system while upgrading central and provincial referral hospitals to provide specialised and advanced services. We are improving the availability of medicines and strengthening pharmaceutical supply chains, enhancing health financing mechanisms to increase sustainability, and investing significantly in human capital development.
At the same time, we are prioritising maternal and child health, expanding immunisation coverage, combating communicable diseases such as HIV and Aids, tuberculosis, and malaria, and addressing the rising burden of hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and other non-communicable diseases. We are promoting early screening, strengthening community-based health models, and encouraging preventive lifestyles.
Despite notable progress, we remain mindful of the challenges we face — resource constraints, periodic disease outbreaks, infrastructure gaps, and the need to retain and motivate skilled health professionals. Addressing these challenges requires innovation, resilience, and strong international partnerships grounded in mutual respect.
It is within this context that our cooperation with the People’s Republic of China assumes great significance.
Over the years, China-Zimbabwe cooperation in the health sector has evolved from basic medical assistance into a comprehensive partnership encompassing clinical services, infrastructure support, equipment provision, pharmaceutical logistics, training, and technical exchange. This cooperation has been practical, responsive to our needs, and aligned with our national priorities.
The China Medical Teams have complemented our national efforts by reinforcing specialist services at the tertiary level, reducing referral burdens, and enabling more complex cases to be managed locally. This not only improves patient outcomes but also reduces the financial and emotional strain on families who would otherwise need to seek treatment abroad.
Our partnership also contributes significantly to health system strengthening. Support for infrastructure and medical supply systems enhances service reliability across provinces and reinforces the foundations of our national healthcare delivery framework. In this regard, we highly appreciate China’s assistance in the construction of the National Pharmaceutical Warehouse, which has improved our capacity for the safe storage, inventory management, and efficient distribution of essential medicines and medical supplies.
Collaboration in training builds long-term capacity, while professional exchanges deepen mutual understanding and encourage innovation. We also greatly appreciate the annual training opportunities provided by the People’s Republic of China, which enable Zimbabwean doctors, nurses, public health officials, and health administrators to attend seminars, technical courses, and professional programmes in China. These programmes expose our personnel to advanced medical technologies, hospital management practices, public health strategies, and digital health systems, broadening their perspectives and strengthening their competencies.
Zimbabwe is also embracing modernisation and digital transformation within the health sector. We are advancing telemedicine platforms, electronic health record systems, and modern diagnostic technologies to improve efficiency and patient management. In this context, the Telemedicine Centre supported by China at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has played an important role in facilitating remote consultations, specialist support, and knowledge exchange.
As we continue modernising our health system, partnerships that facilitate technology transfer, biomedical engineering cooperation, digital health innovation, and professional exchange will remain essential. Together, we can harness innovation to build a more responsive, efficient, and future-ready healthcare system for Zimbabwe.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Zimbabwe values partnerships based on equality, non-interference, shared benefit, and respect for national ownership. Our co-operation with China reflects these principles. It is built on decades of friendship and solidarity and continues to evolve in response to contemporary challenges.
As we bid farewell to the 22nd China Medical Team, we do so with pride and heartfelt appreciation. You leave behind strengthened systems, empowered colleagues, and grateful patients. Your contribution forms an integral part of Zimbabwe’s broader journey toward a more resilient and inclusive health system.
To the 23rd Team, Zimbabwe warmly welcomes you. We trust that you will uphold the highest standards of medical ethics, dedicate yourselves fully to your mission, and continue to deepen collaboration with our institutions. The Ministry of Health and Child Care reaffirms its full support to ensure that you are able to carry out your work effectively and safely.
The health of our people is the foundation of our national development and our aspirations under Vision 2030. Through continued cooperation, strategic planning, innovation, and shared commitment, we are confident that Zimbabwe’s health sector will continue to grow stronger and more responsive to the needs of our citizens.
Let us continue building a partnership that supports not only treatment, but also prevention; not only institutions, but also communities; and not only the present generation, but also the generations to come.
I thank you.
