National health strategy unveiled

By Staff Reporter | Jul 10, 2026 | 2 Min read

THE Health and Child Care ministry has launched the 2026–2030 national health strategy which seeks to improve health outcomes and ensure equitable access to quality healthcare services across the country.

“Our priority is to reduce morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions while ensuring that every Zimbabwean has access to quality, affordable healthcare,” Health and Child Care minister, Douglas Mombeshora, said during the launch.

“We are targeting significant reductions in maternal and perinatal mortality while increasing the prevalence of modern contraceptive use. Protecting the health of mothers, newborns, children and adolescents remains at the centre of this strategy because healthier families are the foundation of national development.”

Mombeshora said ensuring the uninterrupted availability of medicines and other essential health commodities would be a key priority over the next five years.

“Our goal is to increase the availability of medicines and health commodities so that no patient goes without the treatment they need. Access to essential medicines is a fundamental component of quality healthcare and we are committed to strengthening procurement and supply systems,” he said.

The minister said the government also intends to increase domestic health financing to at least 15 percent of total government expenditure while reducing the financial burden on patients.

To address shortages of healthcare professionals, Mombeshora said the government plans to create 32,000 new health sector posts by 2030 to improve staffing levels in line with recommended international standards.

“The strategy also seeks to modernise health infrastructure by ensuring every district has a fully equipped hospital, while all health facilities will have reliable water and electricity supplies,” he said.

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“We will also expand digital health by connecting all health facilities to the internet and integrating health information systems to improve efficiency, decision-making and service delivery.”