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Mukudzei Chingwere in LOMÉ, Togo
Zimbabwe is following the recommendations of the 72nd session of the World Health Organisation regional committee for Africa that ended yesterday, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.
The main facilities now being built in Zimbabwe are to fill the gap between clinics and provincial hospitals, with a number of hospitals that can cope with the non-communicable diseases that are now being more common.
The annual meeting brings together 47 ministers of health in the WHO Africa region, and is the highest health decision making body of the continent which determines priorities and formulate policies that improve people’s health and livelihoods.
Issues discussed at this meeting include the resurgence of polio on the continent after Africa was previously certified polio free, health security and emergencies, and management of environmental determinants of health.
The adoption of the regional strategy to address severe non-communicable diseases at first-level referral health facilities, and form of the universal health coverage anchored on ensuring low income earners are guaranteed of these services.
According to the centres for disease control and prevention, the non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes are the leading cause of death worldwide and represent an emerging global health threat.
Such deaths now exceed deaths of all communicable diseases combined.
Speaking after leading Zimbabwe’s delegation during a marathon of health engagements, VP Chiwenga said the proposed, agreed and endorsed strategies to improve the continent’s health system were already being implemented in Zimbabwe.
He said they were being implemented under President Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind as the country journeys towards the attainment of an upper middle-income society by 2030, which calls for best international practices in the health sector.
As there was a gap been clinics and hospitals, but this gap was being filled, allowing a lot more people to be treated at district levels, rather than having to go to central and provincial hospitals.
“As Zimbabwe, we have now recognised these issues and we have now developed between the clinic and the district hospital, they are now two levels,” said VP Chiwenga.
“The one with 20-bed hospital, there are two theatres, for instance the one which was opened by His Excellency the President in Harare South. So, the individual do not now have to go to the provincial hospital. They will get most of their requirements there.”
Previously controlling conditions like cancer, diabetes among other NCDs were afforded by a few, but under President Mnangagwa’s vision of transforming the health sector which ensures best international practices at all levels, even low income earners will be able to receive best healthcare.
VP Chiwenga noted that prior to the restructuring of his ministry, the referral system was not working properly, thereby exerting pressure on central and provincial hospitals which had a negative impact of minimising quality.
He said Zimbabwe was working on reorienting the health systems and infrastructure to ensure quality services were distributed across the board for the benefit of the entire citizenry.
“We are also going to be constructing the 60-bed hospital, which again is a facility before one gets to the district hospital,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Therefore, these non communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, they will be able to get the medication before going to the provincial hospital.
“As you are aware, we are putting up 30 of those facilities, those sort of hospitals in the country.
“These will mainly deal with non communicable diseases before one can go to the provincial hospital or the referral hospital.
“What we were having in the past was to have somebody going straight from the first point to the referral hospital and it was giving pressure and we were not putting our structures properly and so this is what we are now going to do.”
Online Reporter