Tag: Dr Aspect Maunganidze

Call for Dedicated Community Health Directorate

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere and Rebeccah Zindati The creation of a dedicated Primary Health Care and Community Health Directorate has been described as a significant step toward improving accountability, coordination, and service delivery for community health worker (CHW) programming in Zimbabwe. Currently, the Department of Community Health is housed under the Nursing Services Directorate in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, a structure that stakeholders say limits oversight of CHWs despite their central role in delivering healthcare at the grassroots level. The proposal to establish the directorate was discussed at…

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Funding Constraints Hamper NatPharm’s Role in Public Health Procurement

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Severe funding constraints are undermining Zimbabwe’s public health procurement system, disrupting the National Pharmaceutical Company’s (NatPharm) ability to maintain a reliable medical supply chain. NatPharm, a government parastatal, is responsible for procuring and distributing medical products nationwide. Its operations were further strained by the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. government funding through USAID during the Donald Trump administration. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a Health Products Supply Chain Management Dialogue, Health and Child Care Ministry Secretary Dr. Aspect Maunganidze pointed to low budget allocations as one…

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Zimbabwe to Expand Electronic Health Records to 500 More Facilities in 2025

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The rollout of the Impilo Electronic Health Records (EHR) system has gained momentum, with 500 more health facilities set to adopt the technology in 2025. These new deployments will add to the 1,197 health facilities across Zimbabwe that have already implemented the system since the project’s commencement in 2021. Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes, Dr. Aspect Maunganidze, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Permanent Secretary, said the expansion will prioritize high-volume health facilities and strategically located sites. Cumulatively, 1,197 facilities have been equipped with…

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Zimbabwe Gains Ground in Cholera Battle

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa As 2025 began with a surge in cholera cases, particularly in Mazowe’s Glendale area and Kariba, recent developments indicate that the outbreak is now under control due to swift interventions by the government and its partners. The current cholera outbreak started on November 24, 2024, in Gachegache, Kariba district. Cases have since been reported in the Glendale area of Mazowe district, with sporadic instances in Chiredzi, Chipinge, Bikita, Bindura, Shamva, and Kadoma. However, sustained community transmission did not follow these isolated cases. The number of new daily…

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Zimbabwe’s INTEGRATE Program Marks Milestone: Over 150,000 Circumcisions Achieved in HIV Prevention Push

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Over 150,000 men and boys have undergone circumcision under the INTEGRATE-Catalyzing Integrated Sustainable Subnational HIV Biomedical Prevention Program, an initiative aimed at enhancing decentralized biomedical HIV prevention services in Zimbabwe. The program, implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) with technical support from Population Services International (PSI) and Population Solutions for Health (PSH), was catalyzed by funding from the Gates Foundation. Launched in November 2020, the INTEGRATE project was designed to run for four years and is set to conclude by the end of…

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Treasury raises US$8million from sugar tax

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance says it has raised US$8 million from the sugar tax regime that was introduced in 2024 National Budget presented as the country intensifies efforts to fund healthcare through home-grown initiatives. The money raised is set to be channeled towards cancer treatment. This was revealed by the Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora during the Health Development Partners Coordination Forum Meeting on Friday. There is an issue of sugar tax which I should mention now because yesterday (Thursday) I had also challenged…

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Zim elected into the World Health Assembly Executive board

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere Zimbabwe has been elected into the World Health Assembly’s (WHA) Executive Board, under a three year term running from 2024 up to 2026. This was revealed by the Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora addressing the second Health development partners coordination forum meeting. I’m excited to inform you that Zimbabwe was elected into the Executive Board of the World Health Assembly. I encourage you to engage us on any issues you feel should be discussed in the Executive Board,” said Dr Mombeshora.  He added that…

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ICASA To Proceed As Planned…Cholera Outbreak Under Control

Michael Gwarisa

The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) says they have identified most cases and initiated patients on Cholera treatment and care, allaying any fears of a full-blown cholera outbreak of the proportions of 2008/09. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has been recording sporadic and isolated cases of Cholera mostly in rural communities and some peri-urban centres over the past few months, raising fears in some circles that the outbreak could derail hosting of the international Conference on AIDS and SITs in Africa (ICASA), slated for December 4 to 9 2023.…

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Parirenyatwa gets US$400 000 worth of hospital medicines and equipment

Kuda Pembere

THE African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI), on Thursday handed over hospital equipment, medicines and sundries to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH) worth US$400 000. By Kudakwashe Pembere Africans in the diaspora mobilised the money to purchase the equipment and medicine in consultation with the PGH doctors and pharmacy department. The equipment comes at a time the Hospital has been bemoaning shortage of equipment.  ADDI president and founder Dr Arikanna Chihombori-Quao commended doctors at the Hospital for working hard amidst challenging times. I cannot thank all you enough for what you…

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