Zimbabwe Drops National Health Insurance Name, Unveils Tax-Funded Healthcare Provision Programme
By Michael Gwarisa HARARE – Zimbabwe has abandoned plans to establish a National Health Insurance Scheme, opting instead for a National Healthcare Provision Programme, a new tax-funded model aimed at providing free healthcare services at public health institutions, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has announced. Speaking while responding to questions during the
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Zimbabwe Promises Free Caesarean Sections Once National Health Insurance Programme Takes Effect
By Michael Gwarisa The Government has acknowledged that financial barriers are preventing some pregnant women from accessing life-saving maternal healthcare and says it is finalising legislation that will introduce free healthcare for every Zimbabwean citizen and resident. Responding to concerns raised in Parliament, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the proposed
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Zimbabwe Lost 563 Mothers and 6,177 Newborns in 2025 as Maternal Health Challenges Persist
By Michael Gwarisa Every day in 2025, nearly 17 Zimbabwean babies died every day before reaching one month of life. By the end of the year, the country had lost 6,177 newborns, a heartbreaking toll that translates to almost 119 babies every week. Put another way, it is as if, an entire classroom of new-borns
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Zimbabwe Unveils National Health Strategy 2026-2030, Targets Universal Health Coverage
By Kuda Pembere in Norton Zimbabwe has launched its National Health Strategy (2026-2030), a five-year blueprint aimed at strengthening the country’s health system, expanding access to quality healthcare and accelerating progress towards universal health coverage. Launching the strategy at Norton Hospital on Thursday, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the plan
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Zimbabwe Becomes First in Africa, Fourth Globally to Attain WHO Maturity Level 4
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has become the first country in Africa and only the fourth globally to attain the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) Maturity Level 4, the highest international standard for medicines regulation. The milestone was revealed on Wednesday by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, during a
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Zimbabwe Launches New Sexual Violence Care Guidelines to Protect All Survivors, Including Men and Boys
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has launched revised Clinical Guidelines on the Care and Management of Survivors of Sexual Violence, strengthening the country’s response to sexual violence and equipping healthcare workers with updated tools to provide comprehensive care in an evolving social environment. The revised guidelines, unveiled by Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas
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Senate Postpones Debate on Medical Services Amendment Bill
By Kuda Pembere With debate on Clause 11 of the Medical Services Amendment Bill, which deals with termination of pregnancy or abortion as well as other issues, expected to top the Senate’s business this year, the Upper House on Tuesday skipped the Bill’s debate. The debate was deferred due to the absence of the Health
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Zimbabwe Pledges Millions for Contraceptives as Health Sector Faces Funding Gaps
By Kuda Pembere When donor funding for Zimbabwe’s contraceptive commodities fell sharply over the past two years, the country found itself at a crossroads. For decades, external partners had bankrolled most contraceptive procurement, insulating the national family planning programme from the fiscal shocks that frequently affect the health sector. That cushion is now gone. Against this
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New HIV Prevention Injection Expected in January, Minister Mombeshora says
By Kuda Pembere Following the expeditious registration of the long acting HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir, Zimbabwe is expecting the new injectable to arrive in the country in January next year. Addressing journalists on Friday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora said preparations for the roll out have been completed. “Our roll-out plan, I
Read MoreHealth Minister Warns AMR Could Reverse Medical Progress
By Kuda Pembere Uncontrolled Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has the potential to reverse decades of medical progress and increase the severity of infections once treatable, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora warned on Thursday. Speaking at the opening of the Zimbabwe Antimicrobial Resistance Scientific Conference, Dr Mombeshora said AMR is more than a public
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