By Kuda Pembere
The United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), has handed over a total 136 vehicles to be used by Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) in the HIV response and disease outbreak response.
The vehicles were purchased using savings from the efficiency gains fund in bis to support the gains made in the HIV field as well as strengthening Zimbabwe’s health system. From the 136 vehicles, National Aids Council (NAC) received 20 vehicles.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare on Friday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the vehicles will help enhance the country’s response to emergencies and disease outbreaks.
These vehicles we are receiving today will go a long way to enhance access to health care services, especially in remote and hard to reach areas, facilitate the transportation of medical supplies, equipment and health care workers as they carryout their duties,strengthen our response to emergencies and disease outbreaks and support our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he said.
The handover of the consignment comes at a time Zimbabwe has made significant strides in reducing new infections and mortality in HIV, TB and Malaria.
“I extend my deepest gratitude to the Global Fund and UNDP for their unwavering support to Government in the fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as well as building resilient and sustainable systems for health. Your contribution will continue to save countless lives, improve health outcomes and strengthen our health care delivery system. Since 2003, the Global Fund has allocated more than USD2.8 billion to Zimbabwe to complement Government efforts in the fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria.”
He said the the complementary support from the Global Fund, UNDP and other partners will also enhance the country’s fight against other diseases such as TB and Malaria. Zimbabwe has achieved the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. HIV related deaths have decreased by 65% in the past decade.New infections have dropped by 78% during the same period.
“On the malaria front Zimbabwe is on target to meet the Global Technical Strategy (GTS) of reducing malaria incidence by 75% by 2025. Malaria incidence has decreased from 32 cases per 1000 to 9 per 1000 between 2020 and 2022. More than 50% of the country’s 63 districts are in malaria pre-elimination phase,” he said.
Ayodele Odusola, the UNDP Resident Representative in Zimbabwe said the vehicles were procured through the vehicles have come at the right time for Zimbabwe.
“The United Nations Development Program in Zimbabwe is appreciating the kind of support we’ve gotten from Global Fund to procure these 136 vehicles, 80 of them land cruisers and 56 of them Toyota Hilux double cabs. So it’s really a great opportunity for us to have this. The 80 vehicles cost US$4.1 million, which is on the basis of the global competitive bidding process with high level discounts. Otherwise, it would have been above US$6 million.
“Now, I just want to present to the Honorable minister and our guests today that all the 136 vehicles were bought from savings, from Efficiency Gain. It wasn’t a new allocation. It was on the basis of the savings we were able to make from the project already, the ground cycle six that was implemented,” he said.
He explained that Global Fund allowed them to use the monies saved from the Efficiency Gains to purchase the vehicles.
“So it’s really a good opportunity that we’re able to have the kind of savings that could help us to really service this.
“Ordinarily, once you make things like that, the Global Fund says, return the fund to headquarters. But we discussed with the ministry and Global Fund that you cannot punish a country that is making efficiency gains to finance other countries.
“And that’s why they agreed that, oh, the savings should be used here. So we’re grateful to Global Fund for giving us the opportunity to use this,” Odusola said.
Also through the Global Fund’s support for strengthening the country’s health system, UNDP has to date solarized over 1 000 clinics in the country.
“And also in terms of resilient and sustainable health system strengthening, it’s another thing which I think is really very laudable for us to take note of. We have also connected about 1,053 clinic facilities to Solar for Health, meaning they have about 58% of our clinics have access to 24-7 electricity supply, other things being equal,” the UNDP Zimbabwe representative said.
Odusola added that this solarisation has charmed many developing countries which have expressed interest in learning how Zimbabwe did it.
“This is one of the things which is really laudable across the world, and that’s why I said it’s the largest in any developing world in terms of Solar for Health. And as a result of this, when we met in Istanbul, all countries being supported by Global Fund through the UNDP leadership.
They said, oh, they have never seen this, and almost eight countries have pledged to come to understudy how Zimbabwe is able to accomplish this within the next one year,”he said “So, Honorable Minister, we will let you know any time they are here. This is also in addition to the issue of the boreholes, which, as we speak, we’ve been able to work under the leadership of the ministry, with the ministry driving the process in supporting the sinking and solarization of 447 boreholes across various clinics.”
From 2003, the Global Fund has invested US$2.7 billion towards Zimbabwe’s health system.
