Health sector scores huge milestones

THE Second Republic has scored huge milestones in the health sector with life expectancy at birth for females increasing from 66,5 years to 68 years while remaining stable for males at 61 years.

The development comes on the back of improved health delivery services and increased availability of medicines in health facilities, from 51 percent in 2020 to 54,1 percent in 2021.

This is contained in a report that was presented to Cabinet by the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, on the National Health Strategy Performance Report for the period 2021-2024.

In a post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said the country met the recommended 2010 World Health Report threshold public health expenditure per capita in 2021, which has been increasing since the start of implementation of the National Health Strategy.

“During the first half of the National Health Strategy, life expectancy at birth for females increased from 66,5 years to 68 years, while life expectancy at birth for males remained at 61 years,” said Dr Muswere.

“There has been a general increase in the availability of medicines in health facilities, from 51 percent in 2020 to 54,1 percent in 2021. In the second quarter of 2022, almost 96 percent of public health facilities had at least 80 percent of essential medicines in stock.

“Anti-malarials, antiretroviral (ARVs), and anti-TB medicine stocks remained adequate during the period.”
The minister said the country has made progress in responding to the HIV pandemic over the years.

In 2021, the proportion of people living with HIV who were put on antiretroviral therapy (ART) was 98 percent, while the Aids mortality rate continues to decline and the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed Zimbabwe from the list of 30 high-tuberculosis burden countries in recognition of its success in reducing the burden of TB disease in recent years.

At the same time, the national malaria incidence has seen a steep decline of 70 percent in the last three years, from 32 cases per 1 000 population in 2020 to nine cases per 1 000 in 2022.

Dr Muswere said given that about 90 percent of Zimbabweans access health services through the public health system, Government is upgrading and expanding the system to provide all the requisite services.

“Government introduced Quinary Level Care, which is now the highest level of care meant to offer super-specialised services. The first Quinary Hospital is being established and is under construction,” he said.

“Government has also made significant progress in the development of new health infrastructure and the refurbishment of existing facilities,” said the minister.

He said over 78 percent of district hospitals in Zimbabwe have fully-operational theatres to perform emergency maternity surgery and 93 percent have kits for resuscitating newly born babies.

“Overall, the health sector has made significant progress towards achieving the targets set in the National Health Strategy (2021-2025),” said the minister.