By Kuda Pembere
Out of a Z$58.2 trillion budget for the year 2024, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube on Thursday alloted to the Health and Child Care Ministry Z$6.3 trillion.
Representing a meagre 9.2 percent, this is about 6 percent shy of the Abuja declaration agreed 15 percent which Zimbabwe ratified.
Last year the Health Ministry got 11 percent which the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) decried as an uninspiring allotment.
Announcing the 2024 Budget, Finance Minister Prof Ncube said Treasury only had Z$58.2 trillion in its purse against a required Z$110 trillion.
“Mr Speaker Sir, during the formulation process of the 2024 National Budget, MDAs submitted funding requirements (bids)
of over Z$110 trillion, against the available envelope of Z$58.2 trillion,” he said.
Prof Ncube said for the Health Ministry, the Z$6.3 trillion was for the improvement of the public health sector.
“Mr Speaker Sir, the 2024 National Budget seeks to consolidate recovery of public health sector services, across all levels of
health care, through provision of the requisite tools of trade such as adequate working space, manpower, drugs and
medical supplies across the value chain.
“In this regard, an amount of Z$6.3 trillion has been allocated towards the Ministry of Health and Child Care,” he said.
The Health and Child Care Ministry over the past five years has never gotten to the 15 percent with the highest it got being a 13 percent in 2020. This was largely attributable to the height of the COVID-19, the year the pandemic entered Zimbabwe.
