Tinaye Agere
Sunday Mail Reporter
Yesterday, Zimbabwe joined the world to commemorate World Health Day.
This years’ commemoration comes at a time when the World Health Organization (WHO) is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Established in 1948 by countries around the world, WHO’s mission is to promote health, ensure global safety, and serve the vulnerable, with the ultimate goal of achieving the highest level of health and well-being for all.
In a statement, WHO said in Sub-Saharan Africa, around 25 percent of health expenditure comes out of people’s pockets and as a result, hundreds of millions of people have been pushed further below the poverty line.
According to WHO, African countries are facing unprecedented health emergencies, driven by conflict, political instability, and climate change.
“Climate events are driving outbreaks of measles, polio, cholera, and yellow fever.
“The COVID-19 pandemic rolled back the hard-won gains made in health, with a drop in routine coverage of essential services having been noted. For example, WHO estimates that immunization coverage will not return to 2019 levels until 2027 without immediate action to catch up and get back to normal,” WHO added.
WHO further said in Zimbabwe, several significant public health milestones have been realized over the past three decades.
“WHO has played a vital role supporting the Government of Zimbabwe in attaining 90 percent immunization coverage, eradicating polio in 2005, and eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus in 2002, all of which have been sustained to date. Additionally, Zimbabwe has seen a reduction in morbidity and mortality due to vaccine-preventable diseases, resulting in a steady decline in maternal and under-5 mortalities.”
While current mortality rates remain unacceptably high, at 462 deaths per 100,000 live births and 65 deaths per 1,000 live births respectively, the continuous positive reduction of mortalities is encouraging.
“In 2020, Zimbabwe achieved the UNAIDS’s 90-90-90 targets, placing it among the few African countries to do so. The country is also making significant progress towards meeting the 2025 targets. Zimbabwe is now one of only three Sub-Saharan African nations to have met the UNAIDS’s 95-95-95 HIV objectives,” the statement further said.
However, while milestones have been recorded, WHO said Zimbabwe is still grappling with the challenge of both communicable diseases (such as HIV, TB, etc.) and non-communicable diseases (like cancer, hypertension, etc.).
“Despite significant progress made in the fight against communicable diseases, particularly HIV and AIDS, it remains a major burden for the population, with an adult prevalence rate of 12.8 percent.”
WHO further pointed out that non-communicable diseases affect people of all ages and socioeconomic classes. Additionally, malaria continues to pose a significant threat to the health of Zimbabweans, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality rates.
“WHO’s 75th anniversary is an opportunity to stop and reflect on the remarkable achievements in advancing the health and wellbeing of the people of Zimbabwe as reflected in the National Health Strategy (2021-2025) which seeks to improve the health and wellness of all Zimbabweans and eventually ensure UHC,” says Professor Jean-Marie Dangou, WHO Representative ai in Zimbabwe.
“It is also the chance for us to come together around our common goal and renew our commitment to accelerate UHC through strengthening access to primary health care.”
WHO further said it remains committed to supporting the Government of Zimbabwe in achieving health for all and building resilient health systems that can withstand shocks, including those beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany with African First Ladies who are also Ambassadors of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” Campaign also marked World Health Day.
In a statement, Merck Foundation said in accordance with the theme of “World Health Day” 2023 – ‘Health for All’, their vision is to provide quality and equitable healthcare solutions to underserved and vulnerable populations, leading Africa and the rest of the world to a healthier future.
CEO of Merck Foundation and President of “More Than a Mother” Campaign Senator, Dr Rasha Kelej, said: “At Merck Foundation, every day is about ‘Healthcare for All’. Our vision is that everyone can lead healthy and happy life. For 10 years this has been true in our mission to build healthcare capacity and transform patient care landscape.
“I am proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided than 1580 scholarships to young doctors from 50 countries in 36 critical and underserved specialties.
We are making history and legacy in Africa by training the first Fertility specialists, embryologists,
oncologists, diabetes, endocrinology, respiratory experts and more in many countries like Liberia, The
Gambia, Burundi, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Guinea and Ethiopia, Congo, Nepal, Bangladesh etc. Together with our partners like Africa’s First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Gender, Education and Communication, we are impacting the lives of people in the most disadvantaged communities in Africa and beyond.” @RoselyneSachiti
Online Reporter