Online Reporter
Robin Muchetu [email protected]
ZIMBABWE is expanding midwifery training schools, modernising training curricula and improving conditions of service for health workers under a drive spearheaded by President Mnangagwa to build a future-ready healthcare workforce capable of delivering quality maternal and neonatal care while accelerating the country’s march towards Vision 2030.
The ambitious programme, which seeks to equip the next generation of midwives with cutting-edge clinical and digital health skills while retaining experienced professionals within the country, forms part of the Second Republic’s expansive strategy to strengthen healthcare delivery and address critical workforce shortages.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Sleiman Kwidini outlined the Government’s plans during the belated commemoration of the International Day of the Midwife at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) on Friday.
Commemorated annually on May 5, the International Day of the Midwife is this year running under the theme “One Million More Midwives”, a global call to increase the number of skilled birth attendants and improve maternal and newborn health outcomes.
As part of Zimbabwe’s contribution to the global initiative, Government has committed to scaling up annual nurse training outputs to 7 000, expanding midwifery training institutions and renovating nursing schools across the country.
New training facilities are also being established, with Binga District in Matabeleland North Province expected to open its first nursing training school next year.
Deputy Minister Kwidini said the country’s vision of attaining upper-middle-income status by 2030 depended on a robust healthcare system supported by a skilled, adequately trained and motivated workforce.
“We are expanding our midwifery training schools and modernising our curricula to ensure that the next generation of midwives is equipped with the cutting-edge skills and digital health tools required for 21st-century maternal care,” he said.
Deputy Minister Kwidini said the Government had adopted the Health Workforce Strategy (2023-2030) and the Health Workforce Investment Compact (2024-2026) to guide reforms and investments in the sector.
Through the newly signed Health Workforce Investment Compact, Government has committed to providing 75 percent of the resources required to strengthen the health workforce, while working with development partners to bridge the funding gap.
While increasing the number of trained midwives remains a priority, Deputy Minister Kwidini said retaining experienced health professionals was equally important.
President Mnangagwa’s administration, he said, was committed to improving working conditions for health workers through better staff accommodation, improved access to essential medical supplies, reliable water supplies and the provision of adequate tools of trade.
“We want our midwives to feel valued, protected and proud to serve their fellow citizens right here at home. As Government, we appreciate that training more midwives is only half the battle; we must also take care of the midwives we already have,” said Deputy Minister Kwidini.
“That is why our health workforce strategy explicitly targets addressing the issue of health worker retention.”
Deputy Kwidini said the Health Workforce Strategy seeks to double the national healthcare workforce by 2030 through the creation of 32 000 new public health sector posts, reducing workforce attrition by 50 percent and improving remuneration and job satisfaction.
The deputy minister acknowledged that the country’s health sector had been affected by the migration of skilled professionals, leaving many institutions understaffed and placing additional pressure on those who remain.
However, he said Government’s response was centred on strategic investment in training, recruitment and retention of health workers.
“Moreover, efforts are being made to raise health worker satisfaction levels to at least 80 percent by 2030, alongside managing ethical emigration to ensure experienced health workers remain within the country,” he said.
“We are all aware of the immense challenges our health sector has faced. The brain drain has taken many of our finest professionals abroad, but our response to these challenges is not despair; it is deliberate, strategic investment in our people and our health system.”
Guided by President Mnangagwa’s vision, Government is implementing a US$1,63 billion health workforce investment programme aimed at doubling the healthcare workforce by 2030. Deputy Minister Kwidini said a significant share of the 32 000 new health sector posts will be reserved for midwives who will be deployed to rural, remote and under-served communities where access to maternal healthcare remains limited. He described midwives as the backbone of maternal and newborn healthcare, saying their contribution extends beyond healthcare to social and economic development.
“Investing in a midwife is the single most effective investment a nation can make. When we invest in you, we drastically reduce maternal mortality, end preventable neonatal deaths, empower women and build stronger, healthier families,” said Deputy Minister Kwidini.
“Midwives are the guardians of new beginnings. You are the steady hands, the comforting voices, and the lifesaving experts who ensure that pregnancy and childbirth remain journeys of joy, dignity and safety.”
Deputy Minister Kwidini also paid tribute to development partners for supporting Government efforts through the Health Workforce Compact. —@NyembeziMu
