By Kuda Pembere
Property mogul and West Prop Holdings Limited chief executive officer Kenneth Sharpe has been appointed chairperson of the Zimbabwe End Malaria Council, which is expected to spearhead efforts to mobilise resources and strengthen partnerships towards eliminating malaria in the country.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora commended Sharpe for accepting the appointment, saying the Council would bring together Government, the private sector, development partners, civil society and other stakeholders around the national malaria elimination agenda.
“Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to Mr Kenneth Sharpe, Chief Executive Officer of West Prop Holdings Limited, for accepting the responsibility to serve as the inaugural Chairperson of Zimbabwe’s End Malaria Council.
“Mr Sharpe, we are pleased to have you on board. Your acceptance of this responsibility is an important first step in bringing together Government, business, development partners, civil society and other stakeholders around a common national objective, to end malaria in Zimbabwe,” Mombeshora said.
Sharpe’s appointment comes as Zimbabwe faces growing challenges in financing malaria elimination programmes, despite significant progress in reducing the disease burden in several districts.
Mombeshora said the establishment of an End Malaria Council and Fund was in line with continental and regional commitments to strengthen political leadership, domestic ownership and financing for malaria elimination.
“The establishment of an End Malaria Council and an End Malaria Fund is not a new concept on our continent. The African Union Heads of State and Government endorsed the establishment of national End Malaria Councils and Funds in 2018 as a mechanism to strengthen political commitment, domestic ownership and financing of malaria elimination,” he said.
“The SADC Heads of State subsequently reinforced this commitment through the Windhoek Declaration on Eliminating Malaria in the SADC Region.”
Zimbabwe has made significant progress in reducing malaria transmission, with the country now having 31 malaria elimination districts, according to Mombeshora.
Between 2020 and 2025, malaria incidence declined substantially, while four districts, Chikomba, Chirumanzu, Shurugwi and Zvishavane, reported no local transmission in 2025.
“These achievements demonstrate that elimination is possible,” Mombeshora said.
However, the minister cautioned that the gains could be undermined without sustained investment in malaria programmes.
“However, we should not confuse progress with completion. Malaria continues to claim lives, and sustaining the gains we have made will require continued political commitment, strong programme implementation and, importantly, more predictable and sustainable financing,” he said.
Mombeshora said the changing global health financing landscape had made it necessary for Zimbabwe to explore alternative and more sustainable sources of funding.
“The financing environment for health is changing. External support is becoming less certain, while competing demands on national resources continue to grow. This requires us to think differently about how we finance and sustain priority health programmes,” he said.
He said Government remained committed to increasing domestic health financing and strengthening mechanisms such as the AIDS Levy, as well as developing National Health Insurance.
“Government cannot, and should not, carry the entire burden alone. This is where the End Malaria Council becomes particularly important,” Mombeshora said.
The Council is expected to provide a platform for greater private-sector and stakeholder participation in the malaria elimination campaign.
Its responsibilities will include advocacy at political, public and private-sector level, resource mobilisation, promoting innovation and partnerships, and supporting the establishment and management of an independent End Malaria Fund.
Sharpe welcomed the appointment and commended the Ministry of Health and Child Care for the progress made in reducing malaria cases.
He said malaria incidence had fallen by 88 percent between 2000 and 2025, from 136 cases per 1,000 population in 2000 to 12 cases per 1,000 population in 2025.
“I think it is a commendable result that deserves a clap. It is not that Zimbabwe was sleeping or resting on its laurels. Although resources were limited, Zimbabwe has been fighting ahead,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe also noted that some neighbouring countries had moved earlier to establish similar structures, citing Zambia’s End Malaria Council.
