Zimbabwe commemorates World Health Day

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke

Senior Health Reporter

African countries need to act on the social and economic determinants of health to improve the lives of marginalised communities as the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the inequalities of accessing health care.

Zimbabwe today joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Health Day (WHD) amid the Covid-19 pandemic which has exposed the shortcomings in the access to health services by millions of people.

According to the World Health Organisation, African countries have been pushed to the back of the queue in accessing Covid-19 test kits, personal protective equipment and vaccines.

In her WHD address, WHO regional director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said of 548 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered worldwide, only 11 million or two percent, had been in Africa, whereas the continent accounts for around 17 percent of the global population.

“There are also inequities within countries. Discrimination based on gender, place of residence, income, educational level, age, ethnicity and disability intersect to disadvantage vulnerable populations,” said Dr Moeti.

She said communities needed to be engaged as partners, through their networks and associations, to shape and drive health and development interventions.

Dr Moeti said national health information systems need to capture age, sex and equity stratified data, which could be used to inform decision and policy making.