dyton mupawaenda
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Health Reporter
PLANS are afoot to establish a dedicated budget for the network of public health emergency operation centres across Zimbabwe, guaranteeing sustainable funding for preparedness and response activities.
According to Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora, the country has been faced with three concurrent health emergencies: cholera, polio and mpox, so strengthening the incident management systems was a vital pillar in the response strategy.
Speaking at the official launch of a week-long executive-level training on public health emergency management in Harare yesterday, Dr Mombeshora said the centres were lifelines to enhance national resilience and responsiveness.
“Zimbabwe remains dedicated to the Lusaka Call to Action and the operationalisation of public health emergency operation centres. We are working towards enacting a legal instrument to ensure a dedicated budget line for emergency operation centres, thereby solidifying our commitment to public health emergency management,” he said.
To date, the country has established eight subnational emergency operation centres supported by World Vision and three provincial centres with the help of the World Health Organisation.
Together with the National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, supported by Higher Life Foundation and Econet, Minister Mombeshora said the network of centres formed the backbone of the country’s crisis response architecture.
“This training will enhance our understanding of health emergency programmes and contribute to our collective efforts to improve public health emergency management in Zimbabwe. As we move forward, our efforts will be guided by the President’s health vision for 2030, which emphasises universal health coverage, equity, and equality in health, leaving no one and no place behind,” he added.
He encouraged stakeholders to continue working together towards the common goal of building a resilient and responsive health care system.
Africa CDC’s principal programme officer for emergency preparedness and response Dr Matthew Tut said the training and operationalisation of the centres was timely and critical amid growing health threats.
“As we convene this capacity building session, let us be reminded that the African continent stands at a critical juncture. Our environment is changing at an unprecedented rate, and our healthcare system is under strain. The frequency and the severity of cyclones, disease outbreaks, and the public health threats are increasing. The official development assistance has declined by 70 percent globally, and Africa is most affected. These challenges are devastating, threatening the foundation of our health system,” he said.
African countries needed to strengthen their health systems, build resilience and ensure that leaders were equipped to respond to the complex challenges being faced.
Africa experiences more than 100 public health emergencies yearly, with most being infectious disease outbreaks, climate-related phenomena, humanitarian emergencies and geophysical events.
WHO Representative Dr Desta Tiruneh, represented by Dr Najibullah Safi, commended the progress made by Zimbabwe in responding to health emergencies.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing upsurge in cholera on the continent has exposed gaps, limited health workforce, inadequate funding, weak health system, and limited stockpiles, among others.
“The good thing, however, is that progress has been made using proven public health interventions, which have shortened the time it takes for countries to detect and control outbreaks. These interventions include, but are not limited to, setting up and adequate resourcing of public health emergency operation centres at the national and sub-national level that help in early detection, reporting, and coordinating response to emergencies,” he said.
Dr Tiruneh said a well-established public health emergency management system in the country would be key to achieve the country’s objectives in response to public health emergencies.
UNICEF Deputy Representative Ms Zeinab Adam stressed the critical need to strengthen routine immunisation programmes as a foundation for stronger public health security.
“In the face of increasing public health threats, the relevance of public health emergency management principles cannot be overstated. Effective coordination and communication are the cornerstones of managing public health crises. It is about equipping responders with the skills, tools, and confidence to manage future emergencies effectively,” she said.
Online Reporter