Acting President Chiwenga launches Health Resilience Fund
ACTING President, Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Childcare, yesterday launched the Health Resilience Fund (HRF) in partnership with United Nations agencies to ensure universal access to health services.
The Health Resilience Fund (HRF) is a health-pooled fund with financial commitments of about US$90 million over the next 3 years.
The HRF, which comes after the Health Development Fund, will contribute to improve healthcare for vulnerable mothers, newborns, children and adolescents in Zimbabwe.
Acting President Chiwenga said the fund is designed to ensure a resilient and sustainable health system.
“The challenges and lessons learnt were critically analysed to come up with bankable health interventions cognisant of the scarcity of resources, and the need for improved efficiency in our programming.
“The Ministry is committed to supporting the implementation of the Health Resilience Fund programme in the same way it has supported its predecessor programmes, that is, the Health Transition Fund, Integrated Support Programme and Health Development Fund.
“The Fund will be supporting interventions across three pillars which are ending preventable maternal and child deaths, global health security and health systems strengthening,” he said.
He assured that the funds pledged will be used efficiently and effectively as the Government remains focused on achieving the highest standards of healthcare and quality of life, possible for all its citizens.
“As a country, we acknowledge the role played by the health development partners to support Zimbabwe’s health sector, their commitment and continued support through funding arrangements such as the one we are launching today, the Health Resilience Fund.
“The support will enable the Ministry to effectively and efficiently implement the National Health Strategy (2021 – 2025) which aims to improve the health and wellness of the Zimbabwean population and eventually to ensure universal access to health services as guided by the National Development Strategy 1,” he said.
He said the need for collaboration and coordination of the health sector cannot be over-emphasised as enunciated in the NDS 1 and the National Development Cooperation Strategy.
“The Health Sector Coordination Framework consolidates and coordinates shared efforts by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and all key stakeholders as evidenced by the solid response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Evidently, the cooperation among stakeholders will foster peace, love, unity and harmony in the country,” he said.