Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Health Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) has called on parliament to champion increased domestic financing for family planning and sexual and reproductive health services amid declining donor support, warning that failure to invest could reverse gains made in improving maternal and child health.
Speaking during a Smart Advocacy Meeting on Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health, attended by members of parliament, parliamentary committee chairpersons, and development partners in Kadoma on Saturday, ZNFPC chief executive officer Mr Farai Machinga said sustainable local financing had become critical to ensuring uninterrupted access to contraceptives and reproductive health services.
He said while Zimbabwe had made progress in expanding access to modern contraceptives through strong Government leadership and partnerships, the programme was increasingly threatened by shrinking external funding.
“As we reflect on the current financing landscape, one message is becoming increasingly clear: domestic resource mobilisation is the pathway towards sustainable financing of Family Planning and Sexual Reproductive Health service provision,” he said.
“While development partner support remains important, the future sustainability of our programmes will largely depend on our ability as a nation to mobilise and invest domestic resources.
“This requires strong political commitment, innovative financing mechanisms and deliberate policy decisions that prioritise Family Planning as a strategic investment in Zimbabwe’s development.
“In this regard, policymakers play a critical role. The decisions made in Parliament and across Government structures have a direct influence on resource allocation, policy formulation and programme sustainability. Your leadership is therefore essential in ensuring that Family Planning and SRH remain adequately financed and prioritised within national development frameworks.”
Mr Machinga said a Family Planning Economic and Health Impact Assessment conducted in February this year reaffirmed that investing in family planning delivers massive returns in health, education and economic development.
He said every dollar invested in family planning generated savings in healthcare costs while contributing to a healthier and more productive population.
According to the study, Zimbabwe requires close to US$16 million annually to adequately provide family planning and sexual reproductive health services nationwide.
Although the Government has committed about US$7 million towards contraceptive procurement since 2022 under a matching arrangement with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr Machinga said the country continued to face a widening financing gap as donor funding declined.
He noted that the Government had committed US$2,25 million towards contraceptive procurement this year and was expected to allocate US$2,5 million in 2027, but urged Parliament to ensure the timely release of the funds.
“Commitment and disbursement are two different things. We need these funds to be released on time so that services continue uninterrupted,” he said.
The assessment also found that strengthening family planning services would reduce unintended pregnancies, maternal deaths, teenage pregnancies, child marriages and school dropouts while improving educational attainment, women’s economic participation and national productivity.
The country’s contraceptive prevalence rate currently stands at 53 percent, indicating that many women who need family planning services are still unable to access them.
Mr Machinga said without a sustainable domestic financing strategy, Zimbabwe risked reversing years of progress in family planning, maternal health and socio-economic development.
“Every dollar invested in family planning saves lives, strengthens families, reduces public expenditure and contributes directly to Zimbabwe’s economic transformation,” he said.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care, Honourable Discent Bajila, said family planning and sexual reproductive health were national development issues that required sustained political commitment.
“If we do not take care of our health concerns, who are we building the economy for? Health must be at the centre of our development,” he said
He said parliament would continue advocating for adequate funding for family planning, maternal health, cervical cancer prevention and obstetric fistula services.
Honourable Bajila also urged legislators to use evidence when debating health issues and during budget processes to ensure resources were directed where they were most needed.
“Behind every statistic is a mother, a daughter, a sister or a wife whose life and dignity deserve our collective protection,” he said.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance chairperson Honourable Andrew Nkani said Parliament had already secured the allocation of three percent of the health budget towards family planning and reproductive health following recommendations made during the 2024 national budget consultations.
He said discussions were underway to increase that allocation during the 2027 national budget.
However, Hon Nkani expressed concern over delays in the release of approved health funds.
“As of September last year, only 49 percent of the allocated health budget had been released. We will continue engaging the Ministry of Finance to improve budget disbursements,” he said.
He added that Parliament remained committed to achieving the 15 percent health budget allocation target set under the Abuja Declaration while supporting local production of essential medicines and contraceptives to reduce reliance on imports.
Representing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Honourable Nyasha Chikwinya said access to family planning and reproductive health services was a constitutional right and central to women’s empowerment.
She said women and girls, particularly adolescents, persons with disabilities and those living in poverty, continued to face barriers in accessing services.
“Vision 2030 cannot be realised if girls are forced out of school because of unintended pregnancies or mothers continue dying during childbirth,” she said.
Hon Chikwinya called for increased domestic financing and greater use of digital technologies to strengthen health information systems and improve supply chain management for reproductive health commodities.
Chairperson of the Senate Thematic Committee on HIV and AIDS, Honourable Angeline Tongogara, said Parliament would continue exercising its oversight role to ensure accountability in health programmes and improve access to HIV and reproductive health services.
She said protecting human rights and promoting gender equality remained central to strengthening health outcomes.
“An effective HIV response reaches everyone regardless of geography, gender, age or social status,” she said.
