In Zimbabwe, Relatives Could Now Be Called to Donate Blood for Patients
Michael Gwarisa In a move aimed at reducing costs related to blood and blood products, the Government of Zimbabwe says it is working on a plan to allow relatives and family members to donate blood for their loved ones on demand. The Government says it is working on plans to ease the cost and improve
Read More
Delta’s Contribution to Sugar Tax Funding Cancer Care Weighs on Operations
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s sugar tax, introduced in 2024 to help finance cancer drugs, equipment and other health interventions, is increasingly becoming a major financial burden for beverage giant Delta Corporation, which says it and its associate Schweppes Zimbabwe are absorbing millions of dollars in costs to keep soft drinks affordable. The levy, introduced by government
Read More
Zimbabwe’s Medical Aid Coverage Could Shrink Further Under Proposed Reforms
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s already fragile medical aid coverage could fall even further below the current 8 percent if proposed amendments to Statutory Instrument 330 of 2000 force medical aid societies to divest from healthcare service provision, stakeholders have warned. The proposed changes to Section 14 of SI 330 of 2000 are currently under scrutiny and
Read More
Beyond IPEC vs Ministry of Health: Rethinking Medical aid regulation in Zimbabwe through an Independent Health-focused body
By Enock Musungwini, MPH; MBA The recent article published by the Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe titled “Healthcare funders push back, warn 80% of Private Healthcare funding at risk in IPEC Takeover” raises important and timely concerns about the future of medical aid regulation in Zimbabwe. The sector, valued at nearly US$400 million annually,
Read More
Health Funders Push Back, Warn 80% of Private Healthcare Funding at Risk in IPEC Takeover
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector faces uncertainty as health funders warn that proposed regulatory changes could disrupt medical aid societies that finance up to 80 percent of private healthcare. The proposed reforms, contained in the IPEC Amendment Bill, have triggered concern among healthcare funders who warn the move could disrupt a system that has long
Read More
Medical Aid Costs in Zimbabwe: Who Offers the Cheapest and Most Expensive Coverage?
Michael Gwarisa In Zimbabwe, the majority of people face significant barriers to accessing health insurance. Over 80% of the population do not have any form of medical coverage, according to official data from the Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ). Only about 10% of Zimbabweans are currently enrolled in medical aid schemes or other
Read More
Parliament Moves to Ring-Fence Multiple Taxes for Health Funding
By Michael Gwarisa Members of Parliament from both the Finance and Health portfolio committees are pushing for amendments to the proposed Finance Bill in a bid to ring-fence multiple taxes introduced over the past few years to support Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector. Lawmakers argue that while several health-related levies have been introduced, the absence of enabling
Read More