Tag: RBF

A Fruitful Marriage: Urban Voucher System Reduces Maternal Deaths in Harare’s Central Hospitals/Council Clinics

Michael Gwarisa

Like many women in high-density and peri-urban communities, Method Pagiwa (26), from Kuwadzana Phase in Harare, registered her pregnancy with the Antenatal Clinic at Rujeko Polyclinic in Dzivarasekwa, when she was seven months into her pregnancy. This, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards is not recommended as they prescribe that women in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, should seek ANC within four months (17 Weeks) of pregnancy. By Michael Gwarisa On July 7, 2023, Method started experiencing labor pains and her waters broke while she was on her…

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When Communities Take Up Leading Role In Improving Maternal and Child Health

Michael Gwarisa

When the world locked down in 2020 at the back of a COVID-19 pandemic, all health services left for COVID-19-related interventions were heavily disrupted.  Maternal and Child Health were among some of the most affected services as health facilities offering services continued to face significant challenges compromising the quality of care By Michael Gwarisa Even though data points to an increase in institutional deliveries since the year 2016 in Zimbabwe, a decline was noted during the COVID-19 era. This was largely attributed to the disruption in maternal health services and…

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Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health On Course To Fully Deploy Paperless System By December 2023

Michael Gwarisa

Impilo, an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system which is currently being rolled out in Zimbabwe’s health facilities, is set to improve efficiency in the health sector through enhancing data collection, management, patients’  care as well as improving communication between health practitioners and patients. By Michael Gwarisa Briefing Journalists in Kadoma during a Results Based Financing (RBF) model for healthcare media sensitization meeting, Dr Robert Gongora, the National EHR Coordinator in the Ministry of Health and Child Care said their priority as is to accelerate the rollout/coverage and usage of electronic…

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RBF’s Urban Voucher Reduces Maternal and Neonatal Deaths In Harare

Michael Gwarisa

THE Urban Voucher (UV) component of the Results Based Financing (RBF) program, which is being implemented through funding and technical support from the World Bank (WB) has resulted in a decline in maternal and neonatal deaths due to increased uptake of services by pregnant and expecting women. By Michael Gwarisa The RBF project was introduced by the government of Zimbabwe in 2011 and is financed by the Global Financing Facility and the Health Results and Innovation Trust Fund. In the earlier phases, the  Project aimed to accelerate access to quality…

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Gvt Should Come Clean On the Free Blood Initiative Financing-CWGH

NewsRoom

… as fears of politicisation of health products grows The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has commended government for making blood and blood products free in public health institutions beginning next month, but expressed concern over the unclear funding mechanism for the  drive. By Michael Gwarisa   CWGH  executive director Itai Rusike said the high cost of blood has been one of the major barriers that prevented ordinary Zimbabweans from accessing and enjoying their health entitlements and rights as enshrined in the country’s Constitution which stipulates that health is a…

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Zim’s Health Financing Model Charms Gambia

NewsRoom

By Michael Gwarisa A high powered 19 member Gambian delegation is in the country for a 10 day Results Based Financing (RBF) familiarization visit around the country’s health facilities. Briefing Journalists in the Capital, Head of Gambian Delegation madam Nancy Niang said Zimbabwe’s RBF model’s success story had spread across the continent and they have come to learn. “We are so happy to be here today because we are talking about results based financing for the health sector. The health sector is one of the main priorities for the Gambia,…

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Home Birth Delivery Cases Drop

NewsRoom

By Michael Gwarisa recently in Guruve  THE number of home deliveries by pregnant mothers has largely dropped over the past few years owing to the extensive roll out of Health Centre Committees (HCCs) around the country. The initiative which is being spearheaded by Save the Children Zimbabwe in collaboration with its funding partners DFID and EC through a program dubbed “Strengthening Community Participation In Health,” has seen at least 21 districts around the country’s 10 provinces benefiting as witnessed by the massive increase in community members participation in primary health…

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