Health Financing Archives

Africa must rope in private sector in funding HIV Programs

December 7, 2023 Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere WITH the discourse on funding for HIV programs being dominated by the Government and donor partners, a leading Malawian researcher says involving players is critical through innovative means such as taxes and levies. While countries such as Zimbabwe came up with the innovative AIDS levy, it has been an envy of many African countries. Professor Ann Maureen Phoya while addressing the media at an ICASA press conference Wednesday said the private sector should be roped in the HIV response financing. “We also need to raise money through…

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Health Ministry gets 9 percent of Zim’s 2024 Budget

November 30, 2023 Kuda Pembere

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…

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“Report when Doctors Refer You To Their Private Surgeries” Says Minister Of Health

October 23, 2023October 23, 2023 Takunda Mandura

The Minister of Health and Childcare, Dr Douglas Mombershora has told parliament that patients must report to him when you there are reffered to private practices from government hospital. By Takunda Mandura Responding to a question by Hon Getrude Mutandi during questions and answers session What is the Government policy on medical doctors who refer patients to their private surgeries? For example, expecting mothers are referred to their private surgeries when in actual fact, medical assistance can be rendered at Government hospitals,” said Hon Mutandi . Dr Mombershora assured the…

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Private Health Insurance (Medical Aid) and Huge Shortfalls in Zimbabwe: Policymakers playing ducks and drakes

August 15, 2023 Enock Musungwini

By: Enock Musungwini, MPH, MBA Introduction A shortfall is the difference between what a health service provider charges for a patient’s treatment and what the medical insurance company will pay for that service. Shortfalls are sometimes presented as a co-payment, which is the gap between what the Private Health Insurance (PHI) company or medical aid pays to the health service provider for service rendered to the patient and what the health service provider will have charged the patient, known as a tariff. According to Suriyawongpaisal et al. (2016), huge shortfalls…

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Zimbabweans value funeral cover more than Medical Aid…Only 11 Percent Zimbabweans Have Medical Aid

July 31, 2023July 31, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

The loss in value in the local currency to the greenback, has forced several Zimbabwean medical aid policyholders to terminate medical aid policies while some are resorting to removing some beneficiaries from cover as a survival strategy. By Michael Gwarisa These developments come at the back of revelations that a few Zimbabweans are currently under medical aid cover and yet, more people have up-to-date funeral policy coverage. A study that was conducted by Finmark Trust and published by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) revealed that just 30 percent of…

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Remunerate Health Workers Well and STOP The Brain Drain Warns CWGH

May 1, 2023May 1, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

THE Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has issued a strong statement regarding the plight of healthcare workers in their International Workers Day solidarity message. By Michael Gwarisa CWGH Executive Director, Mr Itai Rusike said the current brain drain that has hit the healthcare sector was as a result of the deplorable living and working conditions the workers are exposed to. As the World celebrates the Workers’ Day today, the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) calls upon the government to remunerate the health workers well and improve their working…

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Global Fund Allocates US$63 million To Fight Malaria In Zimbabwe

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

The Global Fund currently has three active investments in Zimbabwe, including one malaria grant of up to US$63 million. By Michael Gwarisa This funding is allocated for 2021-2023 and supports Zimbabwe’s continued progress toward ending the three diseases as public health threats. The other two grants comprise one HIV grant of up to US$449 million and a tuberculosis (TB) grant of up to US$26 million. According to Global Fund, malaria mortality in Zimbabwe has fallen by 75 percent and malaria incidence by 84 percent over the past two decades. Regarding…

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UHC A Pipe-dream Without Increasing Per-Capita Spending On Healthcare

April 6, 2023April 6, 2023 Kuda Pembere

ZIMBABWE’S per capita health spending is expected to increase by 100 percent from US$20 in 2022 to US$40 this year which however remains far less than what other countries are spending on their people, a leading health economist has said. By Kuda Pembere In a Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) 2023 budget analysis for the health sector, Dr Prosper Chitambara said the country is still spending less of its gross domestic product on health in comparison to other countries. Zimbabwe’s per capita spending on health is still about twice…

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Health equity, not a pipe dream: EQUINET

January 5, 2023 Wenyasha Chingono

The Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) has called for collective agency and action that embeds equity values in the region to promote health, amid deeply-rooted multiple challenges that are widening the gaps between rich and poor. By Nyasha Chingono The four-day EQUINET conference in 2022 (with session videos available on the EQUINET site) was held under the theme ‘Catalysing change for equity and social justice in health’. During the conference delegates raised calls for collaborative efforts between states, professionals and communities to tackle…

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AHFoZ, TGI deal to reduce healthcare costs by 30 percent

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022 Kuda Pembere

Zimbabwe’s largest body representing medical aid societies, the Association of Healthcare Funders Of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) has partnered regional insurance technology (insurtech) firm Tres Groupe International (TGI) in a deal aimed at dropping healthcare costs for Zimbabweans by 30 percent. By Kuda Pembere TGI comes into this arrangement with its TGI Carenet, a Real Time Claims Processing and Settlement (RTCPS) model to the healthcare industry which is an instant payment platform backed by an EMV Smart card embedded with a microchip as well as the traditional magnetic stripe plus Near Field…

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