Harare gets $356k

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
The United Nations Population Fund has availed $356 000 to Harare City Council for the construction of a clinic and youth centre in Hopley.

The funding will also go towards various activities in the city aimed at improving sexual and reproductive health and HIV services.

The International Labour Organisation has also provided $120 000 for the construction of a road linking the clinic and the youth centre.

Harare is on a drive to construct more clinics and expand four others to increase the scope of services offered at the health institutions.

The clinics will include operating theatres and 24-hour casualty and emergency units with doctor coverage.

The move is expected to de-congest referral hospitals.

Harare has already completed the upgrading of Mabvuku Polyclinic to a sub hospital.

Recent minutes of the city’s Education, Health, Housing and Community Services and Licensing Committee state that director health services Dr Prosper Chonzi briefed council on the support by UNFPA and ILO for the construction of the clinic and youth centre.

“He reported that UNFPA had agreed to support the city with funding for building clinics with capacity to provide (services against) stigma and discrimination, free sexual and reproductive health and HIV services to all clients, including key populations, as well as service provider training, including programme monitoring, supervision and mentorship,” read the minutes.

“The Committee noted that the support from UNFPA amounted to $356 100 with regard to clinic and youth centre; the support was conditional on the city commencing construction using own resources up to at least slab level since UNFPA could not fund construction projects from scratch.”