Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
THE Government is stepping up efforts to expand access to quality healthcare nationwide, with a particular focus on underserved communities, under the new National Health Strategy (2026–2030), Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora has announced.
Speaking at the official opening of the strategy’s validation workshop in Mutare on Wednesday, Dr Mombeshora said the plan seeks to guarantee that every Zimbabwean — regardless of location — can access essential health services. He emphasised that the initiative is part of broader measures to strengthen the health delivery system and tackle longstanding inequalities.
“The National Health Strategy is about ensuring no one is left behind. It is a commitment to equity, quality, and resilience in our healthcare system.
“This strategy is more than a document. It is a social contract with the people of Zimbabwe — a commitment that every citizen, whether in urban centres or rural communities, will have access to quality care,” he said, noting progress already made, including improved life expectancy, sustained HIV 95-95-95 targets and a decline in maternal mortality.
Over recent years, the country has also expanded health infrastructure, improved access to medicines and strengthened digital health systems.
“These are real achievements. They represent lives saved and dignity restored,” he said.
However, disparities in healthcare access persist, particularly in rural areas where communities face challenges of distance, limited resources and shortages of equipment and medicines.
“These are not excuses. They are our reality, and we must address them,” he said.
The National Health Strategy (2026–2030) focuses on closing these gaps through targeted interventions to improve equity and ensure no community is left behind.
Key priorities include strengthening domestic financing, expanding and supporting the health workforce, modernising infrastructure and scaling up digital health systems to improve efficiency and reach.
For provinces such as Manicaland, where some residents travel long distances to the nearest clinic, improving access will be critical, especially for rural populations reliant on primary healthcare centres.
In some districts, patients walk several kilometres for treatment, while others face delays due to limited resources at local facilities.
Dr Mombeshora said Government is working to bring services closer to communities through improved infrastructure and resource allocation, and would strengthen cross-sector coordination.
“Health is everyone’s business. Coordination is not optional — it is essential,” he said, adding that the private sector will play a vital role in expanding access through innovation and partnerships, particularly where public resources are constrained.
“Innovation and partnerships will be key to expanding access and improving quality,” he said.
The strategy is aligned with National Development Strategy (NDS2) and Vision 2030, which seek to transform Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy, with health as a central driver.
“A healthy population is not a by-product of development — it is a driver of that development,” said Dr Mombeshora, while emphasising the importance of a skilled health workforce.
“Without the right people in the right places with the right support, no strategy will succeed.” Government would continue to monitor progress and address challenges to ensure all Zimbabweans benefit, regardless of geography.
Ministry of Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary, Dr Aspect Maunganidze, said the ministry is ready to move swiftly from planning to implementation.
“We are ready to implement the National Health Strategy and move with urgency from strategy to action,” he said, pledging to track resources, measure progress and ensure visible results nationwide.
“Every resource will be tracked, every target measured, and we will report on progress transparently,” he said.
Dr Maunganidze acknowledged that past strategies had often stalled at implementation.
“We have had very beautiful strategies on our shelves and very little action,” he said.
The ministry is strengthening collaboration across Government and with partners to ensure coherence in policy, financing and delivery.
The National Health Strategy (2026–2030) will guide the health sector over the next five years, focusing on improving access, quality and equity, particularly in underserved communities, while sustaining and expanding recent gains.
ENDS
