Zim to introduce new funding for HIV

ZIMBABWE continues to work towards introducing a more encompassing social health insurance scheme that will complement the National Aids Trust Fund and other funds from development partners to mobilise resources for the national HIV response.

Secretary for Health and Child Care Dr Aspect Maunganidze, who was represented by chief director human resources Dr Simon Nyadundu, spoke on the additional measures at the close of the Going the Last Mile for HIV control project and launch of the Preventing HIV for Sustainable Epidemic Control programme (PREVENT) on Monday.

The health insurance scheme was proposed as part of efforts to protect communities from catastrophic costs associated with seeking health care in the country.

“The gains made in the HIV response feed into our National Health Strategy vision which remains the highest possible level of health and quality of life for Zimbabweans,” he said. “We seek to shift from vertical funding for health specific areas to a more horizontal response to make access easier, and to serve Zimbabweans more holistically.

“The Ministry will continue to promote healthy life choices to reduce disease burden for Zimbabweans and the burden on the health system and our health workforce. Government is planning to increase the domestic contribution to essential programmes like community health.”

Dr Maunganidze acknowledged the support of PEPFAR through USAID and the US CDC which has greatly contributed to the country’s HIV response.

Funding from the partners has seen over two million Zimbabwean men and boys receiving essential but voluntary medical male circumcision, improved access to condoms, contraceptives and pre-exposure prophylaxis for over one million vulnerable adolescent girls and young women and increased access to antiretroviral treatment among other interventions.

“We are confident that the ongoing partnership with PEPFAR through USAID and with Population Solutions for Health will continue the decades long record for technology innovation, market development, evidence-based and differentiated service delivery, including self-care and digital health, all for person centred programming under PREVENT,” he said.

The PREVENT programme is expected to build upon the successes of its predecessor, the Last Mile programme which was a US$157 million eight-year programme that sought to strengthen private sector services.

It served more than 700 000 adolescent and young girls, men and boys and key populations.

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