The Government of Japan has committed USD 633,975 to strengthen access to safe, timely and affordable Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia (SOA) care services in Manicaland and Matabeleland North Provinces.
Government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) will implement the project in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) to support SOA care services for everyone in need at all levels.
It will also build the capacity of critical specialist health workers providing SOA services in Zimbabwe, provide basic and critical SOA equipment and consumables at selected high-burden secondary-level health facilities, and strengthen the national Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) to allow effective decision-making. It is expected that, by the end of 2023, a significant number of patients in need of surgical care services will have received high quality care.
Japan Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Satoshi Tanaka, said the country vision for a middle-income country by 2030 can only be achieved if citizens are health.
“Zimbabwe’s sustainable development and the attainment of its vision of a middle-income country by 2030 can only be assured if its citizens are healthy and have access to quality health care services. Japan will support Zimbabwe’s efforts to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by strengthening access to safe, timely and affordable SOA care, for which there is a dire need.”
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing challenges in providing SOA care services owing to lack of surgical equipment, shortage of medicines, consumables, and sundries essential for SOA care services which has seen in a decline in essential surgical procedures being done in hospitals across the country and resulting in long waiting lists.
Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Jasper Chimedza, highlighted that MoHCC is committed to ensuring that every person in need of SOA services receive quality and timely care at all levels of the healthcare system.
“The MoHCC will maintain its stewardship in making progress towards achieving the highest possible level of health and quality of life for every person in Zimbabwe. The funding will also contribute to the ongoing efforts to address some of the emerging challenges of Non-Communicable Diseases which include conditions amenable to surgical care,” said Dr Chimedza.
WHO Country Representative Professor Jean-Marie Dangou reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to support the MoHCC in strengthening the health system and implementation of the National Health Strategy (NHS 2022 – 2025) for which delivery of safe and quality SOA care are amongst its priorities
An estimated 845 631 people are expected to access emergency surgical services by end of 2023 through the proposed interventions in this project.
