COMMUNITY Working Group on Health (CWGH) Executive Director, Mr. Itai Rusike says the current scenario whereby the health sector is heavily reliant on donor funding was unsustainable.

By Michael Gwarisa

Addressing media training of Health Budgeting reporting, Mr Rusike said the country’s vision of attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was hanging by a thread owing to poor funding towards the healthcare sector and should donors one day pull the plug, Zimbabwe could be found in an even worse health situation.

When the Global Fund is no longer able to fund HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria programs, will the government of Zimbabwe be able to take over from the Global Fund, I don’t see that happening.

“Issues of domestic health financing are very critical because there is no way a country can achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by relying on foreign donors. You can never achieve UHC under such circumstances. A country like Rwanda has even surpassed the 15% Abuja target and at the moment, Rwanda is allocating almost 22% of their total budget to health,” said Mr Rusike.

He added that due increased domestic funding towards Rwanda’s healthcare, their health indicators such as maternal health and child health, water and sanitation amongst others have been performing very well over the years.

“I am happy when the Health Minister, Vice President Chiwenga was talking of the security threat that come from dependence on external donors. I hope the 2021 budget will fully address that. However, I was disappointed last week when the parliamentary portfolio committee on health invited us and the ministry of health team to discuss the 2021 budget.

“What I was hearing from our colleagues from the ministry of health was not inspiring. From that discussion, we don’t even feel that the 2021 budget will fully address the health needs of Zimbabwe.”

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry is set to present the 2021 budget soon amidst anticipation of increased funding toward healthcare.