Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Health Reporter
AT a time when global funding for health is facing significant cuts, the Irish government has reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting Zimbabwe’s health sector, demonstrating unwavering support to strengthening health systems.
Speaking after a tour of Global Fund and Health Resilient Fund investments at NatPharm and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital yesterday, Ireland’s Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs Mr Neale Richmond, pledged continued support for Zimbabwe’s health programmes, emphasising that the country’s development budget would not be slashed.
“When far too many countries are turning their backs on international development, Ireland has not cut its international development budget. We will continue to work with our partners across the global north, be it within the European Union, the wider EU, or beyond, to state the importance of international development and to support it,” he said.
“We will work absolutely with our partners here in Zimbabwe as we look to address what will be very real global financial challenges in the coming months, in the coming years.
“We will work to make sure that our Zimbabwean friends realise that the issue is to invest in their healthcare system and we will be there every step of the way, not just morally, but financially.”
The investments supported through the Global Fund include a newly completed Incinerator Plant at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, which is addressing healthcare waste management challenges and promoting environmental safety and public health protection.
At NatPharm, the fund supported the installation of a 450kWp solar photovoltaic system at the new NatPharm Warehouse, part of the Solar for Health (S4H) initiative supporting over 1 000 health facilities nationwide with sustainable power.
Since 1980, Minister Richmond said the Irish government had provided over US$250 million worth of development assistance to Zimbabwe with US$33 million channelled towards supporting the country’s health systems since 2015 alone.
Ireland is one of the founding members of the Global Fund and has contributed US$400 million.
He said his country was looking forward to making its annual contribution later this year.
Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, commended the strategic partnership between Zimbabwe and its development partners, particularly Ireland and the Global Fund.
He said investments in infrastructure, such as the newly commissioned solar-powered medical supply warehouse and a modern medical waste incinerator demonstrated what sustained collaboration can achieve.
“These are not just projects. They are milestones in our journey toward a resilient and sustainable health system.
“Today, we are witnessing the support infrastructure that is required to keep the system oiled and to make sure that the health delivery system is complete.
“We appreciate our partners who have made it possible. These are results of deliberate investments, collaboration and the steadfast support of the Global Fund and its donor partners, including the Government of Ireland,” he said.
As the country prepares for the next Global Fund replenishment, Dr Mombeshora said Zimbabwe remained committed to increasing domestic health investment, as well as continued international partnerships that remain vital.
Global Fund chief financial officer Ms Adda Faye, said the success of the projects supported by Global Fund were an affirmation of Zimbabwe’s progress in health sector transformation.
“What I’ve seen in the last 24 hours has made me proud to be your partner in development. These investments are not just about infrastructure, they are about equity and dignity.
“They are about justice. They are about ensuring that a nurse in all corners of Zimbabwe can count on a health system that works for them, reliable, safe, and strong,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to the Government of Ireland for its commitment to multilateralism, global solidarity, global health equity and sustainable development.
She added that there was need for development partners to recommit themselves to accelerating progress in building the health system of Zimbabwe and make the country a platform of learning for other countries.
“Above all, let us renew our shared promise that everybody, no matter who you are, where they live, must access quality healthcare with dignity.
“I would like to thank you all, sometimes we cut the budget, we do a lot of things, but I’m so passionate about what we do and what we deliver. These types of investments, I think, gives me back a level of energy that cannot be measured,” Ms Faye said.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative in Zimbabwe, Dr Ayodele Odusola, underscored the broader impact of the investments being made, including improved environmental safety and energy resilience.
“Zimbabwe implements the largest Solar for Health initiative managed by UNDP globally. The new 450-kilowatt solar system at NatPharm and high-capacity incinerators in Harare and Bulawayo not only meet international standards, but also contribute to national goals on carbon emissions and medical waste management,” he said.
He added that at least eight countries had indicated their willingness to visit Zimbabwe to understudy the solar for health system.
