Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care is ready to move from planning to action in transforming its health sector, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Aspect Maunganidze, revealed this morning.
Delivering his welcome remarks at the National Health Strategy 2026-2030 validation workshop in Mutare, Dr Maunganidze said the country had reached a critical point where implementation must take precedence over planning.
“We are ready to implement the National Health Strategy. We want to move with urgency from strategy to action. This is where most challenges arise — when we have well-crafted strategies on our shelves but very little action,” he said. He stressed that the proposed 2026-2030 strategy is the product of an inclusive, evidence-driven process shaped by consultations across all levels of the health system. This strategy reflects input from national, provincial and district levels, and is grounded in the realities identified through multiple sector assessments. It is a serious attempt to align our sector with national development priorities and Vision 2030,” he said.
Dr Maunganidze acknowledged the robust, and at times intense, discussions during the workshop, describing them as essential to crafting a credible roadmap.
“In health, if everyone agrees too quickly, we know we have not asked the hard questions. The exchanges we have seen are a good sign that we are focused on building a healthier Zimbabwe,” he said. He underscored the importance of ownership and accountability in ensuring the strategy delivers tangible results. Our key priority is to own the strategy that emerges from this process and ensure it is fully implemented. Every resource must be accounted for, every target measured, and progress reported transparently,” he said, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to disciplined execution, warning against producing plans without visible impact.
“We must deliver results that people can feel. Otherwise, we risk being known for good rhetoric but no tangible change on the ground,” he said.
