Tag: Douglas Mombeshora

Dr Mombeshora Charts Path for Stronger, Fairer Health System

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere As Zimbabwe transitions into the second phases of the National Development Strategy (NDS2) and the National Health Strategy (NHS2), Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora says the government has identified six priority areas to build a resilient, equitable, and high-performing public health system. Officiating at the Health Ministry’s Strategic Review and Planning Meeting in Mutare, Dr Mombeshora said the new phase would focus on ensuring health services reach every citizen. This year marks a significant turning point. We are closing the chapter on NDS1 and…

Read More

Minister Mombeshora Commends TB Progress, Calls for Innovation and Local Funding

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere With several donors pulling out of tuberculosis (TB) programs, Zimbabwe’s dwindling funding base has renewed calls for sustainable domestic financing to keep the disease under control. Officiating the three-day National TB Conference in Harare, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr. Douglas Mombeshora commended healthcare workers for their efforts in helping Zimbabwe exit the World Health Organization (WHO) list of the top 30 high-burden TB countries. “We meet at a moment when we can reflect with confidence on how far we have come. In 2021, Zimbabwe reached…

Read More

Zimbabwe Faces Severe Shortage of Forensic Pathologists

Michael Gwarisa
Minister of Health Dr. Douglas Mombeshora shares a light moment with Dr. Ron Mhizha of the Eye Institute and Chrispen Dzingirai of Old Mutual Zimbabwe during the launch of free cataract eye clinics.

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is grappling with a critical shortage of forensic pathologists, a crisis that has forced families to transport bodies across provinces for post-mortem examinations and delayed justice in criminal cases. Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora told Parliament this week that until recently, the country had only one qualified forensic pathologist, making it nearly impossible to conduct timely examinations across the nation. Forensic post-mortems require specialised expertise beyond the training of general pathologists. Unfortunately, we only had one forensic pathologist in the country. This created…

Read More

Zimbabwe Moves to Finalize National Health Insurance Bill Ahead of Parliament

Kuda Pembere
Minister of Health Dr. Douglas Mombeshora shares a light moment with Dr. Ron Mhizha of the Eye Institute and Chrispen Dzingirai of Old Mutual Zimbabwe during the launch of free cataract eye clinics.

By Kudakwashe Pembere Anticipating the enactment of the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme by year-end, efforts to finalize the NHI Bill are on course, with Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora confirming it will be sent to Parliament this month. After decades of consultation and research, Zimbabwe’s proposed NHI scheme is now closer to fruition. Dr. Mombeshora told a Health Partners Coordination meeting on Friday that the much-awaited scheme will help pool resources for the health sector. We meet at a time when we are driving ambitious reforms…

Read More

Mombeshora Threatens Closure of Private Health Facilities Withholding HIV MTCT Data

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora has warned private health players who fail to provide data on Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) programs, saying such facilities risk closure. He gave the warning during the National Validation Committee (NVC) Meeting for the Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B in Zimbabwe on Wednesday. “We need the data for planning purposes. So, it cannot be choice to supply data or out of choice. Or it must be then mandatory. Those who do not want to…

Read More

Zimbabwe Unveils AMR National Action Plan 2.0 as Calls for Domestic Funding Grow

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe requires approximately US$45 million to effectively implement Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) interventions over the next four years, HealthTimes has learned. This was revealed during the official launch of the National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance in Zimbabwe (NAP 2.0), where the Fleming Fund also announced an additional US$3.5 million in funding to address gaps in surveillance and improve the use of data for policymaking. Officiating at the launch of the Zimbabwe One Health AMR National Action Plan 2.0 (2024-2028) and the Fleming Fund II Grant, Dr. Douglas…

Read More

Health Ministry gets various medical equipment and supplies from partners

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere The Health and Child Care Ministry has received a variety of medical supplies and equipment which will be distributed to selected district and provincial hospitals across the country. The donation came from various Health Ministry partners such as the Japanese Government, the World Health Organization (WHO), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Government of Japan, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (UNCERF), and USAID. Speaking at the handover ceremony at the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) warehouse in Harare, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora…

Read More