GOVERNMENT plans to fast-track the National Health Insurance Bill as part of wider reforms anchored on health financing to bridge the funding gap left by external donors.
Zimbabwe’s health sector programmes and other interventions were heavily reliant on foreign aid, particularly America, before external donor support started to decline.
United States President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order that froze most foreign aid, followed by aggressive and rescinding proposals aimed at cutting billions in global health and development funding.
More donor countries, including the Netherlands and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, have announced reductions in their financial support in Africa, a situation that will further cripple Zimbabwe’s already overstretched health sector.
Health and Child Care minister Douglas Mombeshora said the need for predictable health financing was urgent after external donor support cuts.
“We are on track to submit the National Health Insurance Bill to Parliament this month, to finalise it before year-end,” Mombeshora said while speaking at the High-Level Health Development Partners Co-ordination Forum in Harare last week.
“This is a major step toward creating a predictable funding mechanism that pools resources and ring-fences levies and taxes for health.
“Our goal is simple, every dollar allocated to health must translate into better health outcomes for our citizens.”
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United Nations resident and humanitarian co-ordinator Edward Kallon said the country needed a solid health finance strategy.
“The UN recognises the ministry’s efforts towards establishing a National Health Insurance scheme, which presents a promising pathway to sustainable health financing,” he said.
“We hope this future rollout will adopt a phased and inclusive approach grounded in robust technical design, transparent governance practices, and active engagement of all stakeholders to ensure long-term success and maintain public trust.”
Development director and British deputy ambassador to Zimbabwe, Joe Abbott, affirmed development partners’ continued support.
“International financing is changing, yes, but we are still able to provide technical support, share lessons learned and expertise from around the world, and provide that kind of leverage for service delivery on a declining basis as the Government of Zimbabwe steps in,” Abbott said.
Trump has instructed organisations in other countries to stop disbursing HIV medications purchased with US aid.
Approximately 1,2 million people in Zimbabwe are on HIV treatment.
