US$5 million shot in arm for health system

user fees for women and children and ultimately save more than 30 000 lives among children under five and pregnant women.
Speaking at the handover ceremony at Howard Hospital in Chiweshe last week, Health and Child Welfare Minister Henry Madzorera said the money will restore the health sector.
“This contribution will certainly boost our efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality and help us attain the Millennium Development Goals
“As we continue to revive our sector, I am confident that the HTF will provide the necessary financial and technical support to achieve our goals,” he said.
Dr Madzorera thanked the European Union for helping Government despite the illegal sanctions it imposed on Zimbabwe.
The Head of the European Union Delegation to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia, said helping Zimbabweans had nothing to do with sanctions.
“We offered to help this country because we know sanctions has nothing to do with people’s health.”
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare Dr Davies Dhlakama said that Government had set aside US$10 million to help the ministry. Government set up the Health Transition Fund in 2011 with support from governments of Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, Sweden, and European Union and UN partner agencies.
It is a multi-donor transitional financial mechanism to support health sectors.
The fund, aligned to the National Health Strategy, is overseen by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the Health Transition Fund Steering Committee and managed by Unicef.