By Michael Gwarisa
After a temporary suspension of U.S. funding, the New Start Centre program has fully resumed its operations, restoring crucial health services for communities across Zimbabwe. The suspension of the award was lifted, allowing Population Solutions for Health (PSH), which runs the New Start Centres, to continue providing vital healthcare services.
Dr. Noah Taruberekera, Managing Director of Population Solutions for Health in Zimbabwe (PSH), told HealthTimes in an interview that the relaunch has been made possible through funding from key stakeholders, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), SANOFI, and TB REACH. USAID remains the program’s primary funder.
We are pleased to announce that all our services are fully restored,” said Dr. Taruberekera. “These include HIV testing services, pre-exposure prophylaxis to pregnant women (PrEP), tuberculosis (TB) screening and treatment, cervical cancer screening and treatment, and comprehensive care for survivors of violence, among other services.”
To prevent future disruptions and ensure sustainability, PSH Zimbabwe is diversifying its donor portfolio and evolving its New Start Centres into self-sustaining service delivery units. According to Dr. Taruberekera, the centers will focus on laboratory services, HIV care and treatment, men’s health, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
While the temporary funding suspension undoubtedly disrupted services, PSH Zimbabwe sought to minimize the impact by referring clients to public health facilities during the period. Although the extent of the disruption is still being assessed, Dr. Taruberekera emphasized that ongoing engagement with communities is key to rebuilding trust and ensuring continuity of care.
“We believe that our referral strategy helped us stay connected with our clients and maintained trust,” he said. “Now that we are reopening fully, we will continue engaging with the communities we serve to strengthen these relationships.”
Unlike many organizations that experience service cuts after funding challenges, the New Start Centre has successfully revived all its programs. Moving forward, PSH Zimbabwe is prioritizing service delivery under its restored grant while actively working to diversify funding sources to safeguard against future disruptions.
“With the changing donor landscape, sustainability is a priority. We are committed to delivering high-quality services under our current funding while securing additional resources for long-term stability,” said Dr. Taruberekera.
