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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to build its capacity to combat non-communicable diseases, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday.
Speaking during his virtual address at the United Nations General Assembly side event he said: “The Ministry of Health and Child Care is working with the World Health Organisation and other ministry partners to develop a national non-communicable diseases strategy that is aligned to the country’s National Health Strategy (2021-2025) and the National Development Strategy 1.
“Zimbabwe is also working with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organisation to develop a national cancer control plan,” said Vice President Chiwenga.
Present in the meeting was WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus and Russian Health Minister Dr Mikhail Murashko among other dignitaries.
VP Chiwenga said the country will strive to mobilise resources and technical support to meet the required sustainable development goal.
“As a country, we acknowledge the convening of the first global ministerial conference on healthy lifestyles and non-communicable disease control held in Moscow from 28 to 29 April 2011.
“We acknowledge the adoption of the Moscow declaration, and recall resolution 64.11 of the World Health Assembly which speaks to the control of non communicable diseases,” said VP Chiwenga.
According to WHO, non-communicable diseases account for around 42 percent of the disease burden in Zimbabwe, and VP Chiwenga told the world assembly that the morbidity and mortality can be greatly prevented and controlled through collective and multi-sectoral action by health and non-health actors.
Zimbabwe is also rolling out the WHO package for essential non-communicable diseases at the primary care level.
Also, “Zimbabwe recognises the contribution of traditional and local knowledge in the fight against non communicable diseases. In this regard, the country respects the knowledge and use of traditional medicine.”
Vice President Chiwenga said Zimbabwe was committed to ensuring the availability of essential health services during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zimbabwe has won several international plaudits for the way it has handled the global Covid-19 pandemic and the vaccination drive.
Online Reporter