THE just closed out Health Development Fund (HDF) resulted in the improvement of basic health indicators over the past five year period the fund was operational in Zimbabwe.
By Michael Gwarisa
The US$320 million Health Development Fund to strengthen Zimbabwe’s health systems was launched in 2017 by the United Kingdom (UK), European Union (EU), Ireland, Sweden and GAVI working with the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF, UNFPA and the implementers.
Speaking during an event to mark the HDF showcase and launch of the Health Resilience Fund (HRF), United Kingdom Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Melanie Robinson said by 2019, under 5 mortality rates in Zimbabwe had gone down by 3 percent from what those rates had been in 2014.
Another significant health outcome was maternal deaths. We saw maternal deaths in Zimbabwe drop by 25 percent, again on the 2014 figures. Imagine how positive that is for the future of families and for children. And cervical cancer. In those first two years, thanks to the interventions of the Health Development Fund, the incidence of cervical cancer in Zimbabwe went down from 40.9 per every 100,000 women to 36 per every 100,000 women,“ said Ambasador Robinson.
She also said the HDF touched lives in the face of a series of really tough crises during its five years of existence (2017-2021).
“Cyclone Idai, drought, inflation, Covid-19, and a global economic downturn. Naturally we include extensive planning for risk in ALL of our programmes. But when in 2017 we – that is the UK, EU, Ireland, Sweden and GAVI – launched this 320 million USD Fund to strengthen Zimbabwe’s health systems, working with the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF, UNFPA and the implementers, I don’t think any of us could have seen the exact shape that all the crises coming our way would take.
“What we are celebrating together today – and looking forward to more of in the shape of our new Health Resilience Fund – is the progress that was and can be achieved through collective action and collective vision and dedicated, determined hard work.”
She also honored Funders and implementers and advisors and on-the-ground staff and health workers, working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, for showing excellent leadership in the implementation of various programs under the HDF.
“We worked together to deliver improvements to the access to, utilisation of and the quality of health care services in Zimbabwe, particularly for women, new-borns, children, and adolescents. Because after all this is the ultimate goal of the UK’s and all Zimbabwe’s development partners, working with the Government to support Zimbabweans as they build a stronger, more resilient future.”
In the first two years of the HDF, there was also a notable decrease in deaths and serious illness from malnutrition by 4.5 percent.
“I am particularly proud of the over 1000 solar-powered refrigerators that were distributed to clinics across Zimbabwe so that vaccines can be safely stored and so that children can have their immunisations on time. Those are only a tiny snapshot of the impressive results of this Fund.”
She also applauded the resilience that was shown by partners and the government during the COVID-19 period.
“Here in Zimbabwe, as around the world, the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities and showed us how important it is to focus on health systems resilience to respond to health emergencies and make sure essential health services remain in place. And – I’m pleased to say – that’s largely what happened here. The HDF’s focus health systems strengthening kept services going.
“The HDF spent US$12 million per year to make sure vital and essential medicines still got to mothers and babies in our target clinics and to make sure family planning commodities were distributed. The Fund provided 14m USD per year in results-based financing to support staff and infrastructure at 849 primary health clinics and 67 district hospitals. While we’re talking about vaccinations more generally, I want to give a quick shout-out here to the amazing work of the Ministry of Health and Child Care – Zimbabwe was one of Africa’s top performers in the COVID vaccination programme,” added Ambassador Robinson.
The partners also carried on supporting community health systems by providing US$850,000 per year in incentives for Village Health Workers.
