The national grant which runs until 2029 is expected to improve the country’s ability to detect public health threats early and respond more effectively with a focus on coordination between human, animal and environmental health services.

Speaking at the launch, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the programme, alongside a regional initiative covering eight countries would strengthen the country’s preparedness for emerging infectious diseases.

Zimbabwe will receive approximately US$2.49 million from the regional grant which is valued at US$35.8 million.

The initiative is backed by about US$49 million in development partner co-financing and US$91.8 million in government commitments bringing the total funding and co-investment to approximately US$155 million.

Mombeshora said previous cholera outbreaks and recurring measles cases had highlighted the need for effective surveillance and rapid intervention to prevent diseases from spreading.

He said Zimbabwe had strengthened its surveillance systems and approved an Ebola preparedness contingency fund although the country had not recorded any confirmed Ebola cases.

The programme is expected to improve coordination among health institutions and strengthen the country’s ability to respond to outbreaks before they escalate into wider public health emergencies.

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said local authorities would play a central role in implementing the preparedness measures at community level.

He said councils were critical to environmental health management, community-based disease surveillance, public risk communication and enforcement of health regulations.

Garwe also called for improvements in waste management, access to clean water and community participation in maintaining hygienic environments.

“As the ministry responsible for local government and public works, our mandate is to ensure that national policy translates into global action, as we have the responsibility to deal with people living at a village level,” he said.

He said strengthening frontline systems was among the strategic priorities required to ensure communities were better prepared to identify and respond to health threats.

Garwe added that effective pandemic preparedness required a coordinated approach involving government institutions, communities and regional partners, backed by sustainable investment.

Pandemic Fund Executive Head Priya Basu said the programme was designed to build resilient public health systems capable of protecting communities beyond future pandemics.

She said the project would establish five public health emergency operations centres, strengthen laboratory capacity at national and sub-national levels, train more than 10,000 health professionals and reach up to two million people through community engagement and awareness programmes.

“The project will strengthen surveillance in early warning, including digital and community-based systems, environmental monitoring and cross-border collaboration,” Basu said.

She said the programme would also upgrade laboratories, with plans to strengthen five at national level and 20 at sub-national level.

The improvements are expected to enhance diagnostic testing, genomic sequencing, antimicrobial resistance testing and laboratory biosafety.

Basu said the Pandemic Fund’s contribution of more than US$14 million had helped mobilise additional resources, bringing total funding and co-investment for the initiative to approximately US$155 million.

She urged stakeholders to turn financial commitments into lasting improvements in public health systems, saying the programme’s success would ultimately depend on the country’s ability to detect threats earlier, respond effectively and save lives.

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Standing alongside her husband, who has supported her throughout her journey, the pioneering doctor watched as Cimas Health Group renamed its Van Praagh Medical Centre in recognition of her historic contribution to the profession.

For Nyamwanza-Makonese, the honour represents more than a name on a building. It is a recognition of a journey that began at a time when racial discrimination and gender inequality severely limited opportunities for Black women.

In 1970, she became Zimbabwe’s first Black female medical doctor and the first African woman to graduate from her medical school. She was the only woman in a class of 25, overcoming formidable barriers to establish herself in a profession where representation mattered as much as individual achievement.

Her breakthrough challenged prevailing attitudes about who could become a doctor, creating an enduring example for generations of women pursuing careers in medicine.

In August 2025, the Government recognised her contribution through the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Commendation Award for Service in Human Capital Development. The renaming adds another milestone to a legacy built on determination, professional excellence and service.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health and Child Care, Sally Mugabe Central Hospital chief executive officer Dr Hopwell Mungani said the honour should inspire Cimas to uphold the values associated with Nyamwanza-Makonese’s life and career.

“The greatest tribute to her legacy will not be the name above this entrance, but the quality of care delivered within these walls. Every patient must encounter professionalism, compassion, dignity and respect,” he said.

Mungani called for an integrated, equitable and patient-centred healthcare system that provides quality services regardless of patients’ financial circumstances.

He linked accessible healthcare to Zimbabwe’s broader development ambitions, noting that a healthy population was essential for human capital development, national productivity and sustainable economic growth.

The Government’s National Development Strategy and Vision 2030 objectives, he said, required a healthcare system that improves access, affordability, quality and resilience.

Cimas chief executive officer Vuli Ndlovu warned that rising healthcare costs were threatening medical aid affordability, revealing that the organisation’s claims ratio had reached 87 percent for the year to date, above its sustainable benchmark of 75 to 80 percent.

The ratio measures the proportion of contributions spent on healthcare claims, limiting the room available for provider tariff adjustments without increasing pressure on members.

“If medical aid becomes unaffordable, members leave. When members leave, patients disappear, and so does practice income,” Ndlovu cautioned.

He urged healthcare professionals to reduce unnecessary tests, consultations and prescriptions, arguing that clinical decisions should prioritise patient outcomes over the volume of services delivered.

“The question is not, ‘Can I do this?’ but ‘Will this make my patient better?’” he said, advocating for value-based healthcare focused on better outcomes, fewer complications and reduced hospital admissions.

Ndlovu also highlighted Cimas’ investment in healthcare skills through its education fund, which has supported 65 beneficiaries, including undergraduate students, medical specialists and specialist nurses.

He said the organisation had grown from approximately 300 employees to 1,300 over the past decade, with clinicians accounting for about one-third of its workforce.

“A building does not heal anyone. A doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist or a clinician who is trusted and properly supported does,” he said.

Building for the future

Mashonaland Holdings representative Progress Kamonere Sibanda said the medical centre demonstrated the value of collaboration between property developers and healthcare institutions.

“As the owner and developer of this property, Mashonaland Holdings is proud to have delivered a purpose-built facility for Cimas, with their input throughout the entire development process,” she said.

Sibanda said successful property development involved creating spaces that enabled institutions to fulfil their purpose and serve communities, expressing confidence that the facility would support healthcare delivery for generations.

For Nyamwanza-Makonese, the honour places her pioneering story at the heart of a healthcare institution, where her name will serve as a reminder of what determination can achieve against entrenched barriers.

More than five decades after she made history, her legacy carries a continuing challenge for Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector: to match professional excellence with compassion, dignity and accessible care.

As Mungani emphasised, the true measure of the honour will ultimately lie not in the plaque at the entrance, but in the lives touched by the care delivered within its walls.

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Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the measures include screening at the airport, hotels and meeting venues to ensure that suspected cases are detected early.

Speaking after touring the airport’s Port Health screening facilities, Mombeshora said he was satisfied with the country’s preparedness to screen the expected influx of delegates.

He said new heat-sensitive cameras had been installed at the airport to detect people with elevated temperatures from a distance of four to six metres.

“The cameras can do multiple screenings at the same time so that the people who come in are not stopped one by one, but they can be screened as they are,” he said.

Mombeshora said anyone detected with a high temperature would undergo further screening, adding that isolation facilities were also in place and health workers were on alert.

However, he warned that some visitors could pass through airport screening while still in the incubation stage of the disease and develop symptoms later.

“To make sure that we do not miss any case, we have also started screening people as they go into the meetings at the different venues. We are also starting screenings at the hotels where they are staying,” he said.

Mombeshora said the measures were necessary given the seriousness of Ebola and the need to protect Zimbabwe from a possible outbreak.

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The launch comes as cervical cancer remains a major public health concern, with eight women diagnosed with the disease and five dying from it every day in Zimbabwe.

Persistent HPV infection can lead to serious illnesses including cancers affecting both women and men.

However, HPV-related diseases can be prevented through vaccination, timely screening and appropriate treatment.

Dr Margaret Pascoe, IPVS country ambassador said the establishment of the Zimbabwe Chapter would provide a national platform for collaboration, education, advocacy and evidence-based action to reduce the burden of HPV-related diseases.

“HPV continues to place a significant health burden on communities across Zimbabwe. Persistent HPV infection can lead to serious diseases, including cancers that affect both women and men,” she said.

Dr Pascoe said the chapter would strengthen partnerships across the health sector and bring together policymakers, clinicians, researchers, advocates, community representatives and the media.

She said the initiative would promote a shared approach to preventing disease, protecting communities and ensuring people had access to reliable information to make informed health decisions.

Dr Tsitsi Magure, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, long-standing champion of cervical cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment, and Group Chief Executive Officer of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, said the chapter would strengthen collaboration and community support.

“The launch of the Zimbabwe Chapter of IPVS gives us a stronger platform to work together, share evidence, and support communities with the information and services needed to prevent HPV-related disease,” she said.

Dr Magure said improving awareness and strengthening prevention efforts were essential to reducing the impact of HPV-related illnesses.

“By improving awareness, supporting prevention, and strengthening collaboration, we can help protect lives today and build a healthier future for generations to come,” she added.

The new chapter is expected to support greater coordination among health professionals and other stakeholders, while promoting public education and evidence-based interventions.

Its establishment comes amid calls for stronger prevention measures, including HPV vaccination, timely cervical cancer screening and access to appropriate treatment.

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Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president and Health Apex Team leader Enock Dongo said the latest explanation that there was “no fiscal space” to implement the review had deepened frustration among health workers.

He said the failure to act risked pushing an already demoralised workforce to the limit.

“This is unacceptable and risks pushing an already demoralised health workforce to the limit. The continued failure to honour commitments made to nurses, doctors, pharmacists, radiographers, laboratory scientists and other health professionals has reached a point where we can no longer remain silent. We are saying enough is enough,” Dongo said.

Health-specific allowances were last reviewed in 2022, according to ZINA.

Dongo said health workers had since continued to undertake night duty, on-call and standby responsibilities while working under increasingly difficult conditions and with limited resources.

He said the allowances had failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

In April, the government reportedly promised health workers that the allowances would be reviewed with the Health Bipartite negotiating panel setting June as the deadline for completing the process.

However, Dongo said health worker representatives were informed at a recent bipartite meeting that the review could not be undertaken this year because of limited fiscal resources.

“We were therefore surprised and disappointed at the recent bipartite meeting when government reneged on that commitment and told us that the review could not be undertaken this year because there was ‘no fiscal space’,” he said.

Dongo said the commitments had also been made publicly by Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora and Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube.

“Lying to workers through high offices like ministers is regrettable, unacceptable, and will not be tolerated,” he said.

The dispute has raised concerns over the potential impact on the delivery of public healthcare if health workers withdraw certain services.

Dongo warned that continued failure to resolve the matter could result in temporary withdrawal of labour including night, on-call and standby duties.

He said such action could have serious consequences for patients who rely on government hospitals and clinics.

“The consequences are already clear: further demoralisation of an already demoralised workforce, temporary withdrawal of labour if this is not addressed urgently, total collapse of the health sector once workers stop performing night duty, on-call and standby duties, and untold suffering for ordinary citizens who depend on public health institutions,” he said.

ZINA is demanding an immediate review of health-specific allowances with the association calling for the review to be backdated to 2022.

It also wants the government to honour the April 2026 commitment and the June deadline agreed through the health-sector negotiating structures.

Dongo further called for public accountability from Ministers Mombeshora and Ncube and urged authorities to urgently re-engage ZINA and other health worker representatives.

“Health workers have sacrificed enough. They have waited long enough. They have listened to promises long enough,” he said.

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The country’s private sector has been urged to take a greater role in ending period poverty, with the government warning that the country cannot continue relying on international donors to provide menstrual products for girls.

Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said menstrual health should be treated as a national development issue rather than a concern affecting women and girls alone.

She was speaking at the launch of the National Menstrual Health Education Package and the Zero Taboo game where she called for greater collaboration between government, businesses, families and communities.

“No man out there should think this is a woman issue. This is an economic issue,” Mutsvangwa said.

She said countries seeking sustainable economic growth had to address gender equality and empower women and girls.

Mutsvangwa warned that girls who miss school because they cannot afford menstrual products risk falling behind in their education, with wider consequences for the country’s economic development.

She called on businesses to help ensure menstrual products are widely available and affordable, particularly for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We want the product to be accessible and also available… And most of all, affordable. We can’t continue to wait for sponsors from outside,” she said.

The minister acknowledged the contribution of development partners and civil society organisations towards menstrual health programmes, but said the private sector should also invest in efforts to eliminate period poverty.

“If every company in this country can do something to make sure that there’s no period poverty, the success of this country will come faster even before 20 years,” she said.

However, Mutsvangwa said providing sanitary products alone would not solve the challenges faced by girls and women.

She said menstrual health education and supportive family environments were equally important in addressing stigma and misinformation surrounding menstruation.

“Addressing these challenges then requires more than menstrual products. It demands quality education, which is what we are trying to achieve by launching this menstrual health educational package,” she said.

The education package is intended to improve knowledge about menstruation while encouraging open discussions around menstrual health.

Mutsvangwa said the government wanted to ensure that menstruation did not interfere with girls’ education.

“Government remains deeply committed to ensuring menstruation never becomes a barrier to education. Every girl deserves the opportunity to attend school and to attend school regularly, not to miss every five days in a month,” she said.

The minister’s remarks come amid continued calls for greater investment in menstrual health as the country seeks to improve girls’ participation and retention in education.

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The Harare Institute of Public Health (HIPH) has produced about 2,300 graduates in the past five years as the institution expands its training programmes to meet growing demand for healthcare professionals in Zimbabwe and across the region.

More than 700 students graduated from the institute on Friday, including 15 students from Botswana’s Botlhale Institute of Public Health (BIHT), marking another milestone in HIPH’s growing contribution to the health sector.

HIPH chairperson Professor Simon Mukwembi said about 68% of the institute’s graduates were now working in hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, non-governmental organisations and community health programmes in Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries.

“Over the past five graduation cycles, the Institute has produced an estimated 2,300 graduates across its Schools of Public Health, Pharmacy, Nursing, Health Technology and Business and Healthcare Management,” Mukwembi said.

The institute now offers more than 18 programmes at certificate, diploma and higher-diploma levels, covering areas including public health, nursing, pharmacy, health technology and healthcare management.

Mukwembi said enrolment had increased by about 45% over the past three years, reflecting rising demand for specialised training in the healthcare sector.

The growth has also seen HIPH graduates take up roles in disease prevention, health promotion, pharmaceutical services, diagnostics, nursing care, research and healthcare administration.

Among Friday’s graduates was counselling student Sewenyu Simba, who said her training would complement her work as a teacher and pastor’s wife.

“I want to thank HIPH for taking me through counselling. Professionally, I am a teacher as well as a pastor’s wife, so counselling helps my work to be more effective,” she said.

For nursing graduate Chipo Sake said the qualification was a stepping stone towards further studies.

Sake said her experience at HIPH had opened an opportunity for her to pursue medicine at St Andrew’s University in the United States.

“I am happy about my history and who I am today. HIPH has opened a door for me to study medicine,” she said, encouraging other students to make use of educational opportunities available to them.

The institute’s expansion comes as Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen its healthcare workforce and improve access to health services.

Representing Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Frederick Shava, Secretary for Institutions Doctor Engineer Tafadzwa Mudondo said the graduates formed part of the country’s investment in human capital under the National Development Strategy 2.

Shava urged HIPH to ensure its rapid expansion did not come at the expense of academic standards.

“Growth must always be accompanied by quality, accountability and sound governance,” he said.

Parents attending the ceremony also celebrated the achievement of their children, saying many had overcome financial and other challenges to complete their studies.

With its growing student population, expanding programme portfolio and graduates entering different areas of healthcare, HIPH is positioning itself as an increasingly important player in Zimbabwe’s health-training landscape.

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Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora has called for greater accountability and improved service delivery as the government reviews the performance of the health sector and sets priorities for 2026.

Speaking at the official opening of the 2026 Ministry of Health and Child Care Internal Review and Strategic Planning Meeting, Dr Mombeshora said the country’s health system had shown resilience in responding to HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, disease outbreaks and other public health threats.

“Our health system has demonstrated resilience in responding to HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, outbreaks, and other public health threats,” he said.

The minister said the country had expanded diagnostic capacity, strengthened emergency preparedness, advanced digital health initiatives and continued investing in healthcare infrastructure and specialised services.

He said the establishment of the Public Health Intelligence Unit (PHIZ) would further improve the country’s ability to detect and monitor diseases, assess risks and coordinate responses to health emergencies.

“This is an important development in strengthening our capacity for disease surveillance and detection, public health intelligence, risk assessment, and coordinated response to emerging and ongoing health threats,” Dr Mombeshora said.

Zimbabwe has also expanded its capacity to provide specialised medical services including radiotherapy, open-heart surgery, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and renal services.

The country is also developing capacity for kidney transplantation.

However, Dr Mombeshora said the success of such investments should ultimately be measured by whether ordinary Zimbabweans receive better and more accessible healthcare.

“Our responsibility now is to ensure that these investments translate fully into improved services for our people,” he said.

He urged health officials to put patients at the centre of the health system while taking action against corruption, cartels and the misuse of public resources.

“We must put patients first. We must confront corruption and cartels. We must stop the abuse of public infrastructure and equipment,” he said.

Dr Mombeshora also challenged the ministry to improve budget utilisation particularly among smaller and peripheral procuring entities.

He called for stronger regulation of flexible working arrangements and continued investment in public health intelligence and emergency preparedness.

The minister said sustainable healthcare financing was also critical to maintaining and expanding services.

“We must advance sustainable health financing, including the establishment of national health insurance,” he said.

He further called for greater local manufacturing capacity and strategic partnerships to strengthen the country’s health system and reduce reliance on external supplies.

Dr Mombeshora said healthcare workers and institutions should recognise that patients were exercising a fundamental right when seeking treatment.

“A patient is not asking us for a favour. They are exercising their right to health services,” he said.

The minister’s remarks come as the ministry undertakes its annual review, with the meeting expected to assess progress, identify gaps and establish priorities for improving healthcare delivery during 2026.

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The investment has included the refurbishment of the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), and Coronary Care Unit (CCU), with new patient monitoring systems, integrated medical gas and power outlets, moisture detection technology, and expanded dialysis capacity.

The project forms part of a wider US$4 million hospital refurbishment programme.

The clinic’s managing director, Sibusisiwe Ndhlovu, said the upgraded technology would help medical staff respond faster to patients while improving the safety and efficiency of care.

The new system includes Mindray patient monitors and redesigned bedside units that centralise medical gases, electrical outlets and monitoring equipment.

The number of dialysis access points has also increased from 1 to 13 across the critical care units, allowing patients requiring dialysis to receive treatment without being moved between beds.

Avenues Clinic financial controller Oscar Maradzamunda said the US$500 000 investment covered infrastructure, equipment and bedding, while the hospital has so far spent about US$4 million on its broader refurbishment programme.

The clinic said its next phase of modernisation will focus on upgrading its operating theatres.

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The Healthathon 3.0 grand finale is set for Friday, August 28, at Cimas Health Group’s head office in Borrowdale, Harare, under the theme “Reimagining Healthcare Through Disruptive Innovation.”

Cimas Health Group Chief Information Officer Foster Akaketwa said the initiative was increasingly becoming a platform for innovators to turn technology-driven ideas into practical healthcare solutions.

“This year’s Cimas Healthathon 3.0 has once again provided a national platform for innovators to develop technology-driven solutions to some of Zimbabwe’s most pressing healthcare challenges,” Akaketwa said.

The third edition attracted 372 submissions from innovators, start-ups, researchers, students and emerging technology enthusiasts from across Zimbabwe, an increase from the previous edition.

The submissions sought to tackle challenges including healthcare affordability, limited access to services, fragmented data systems, delays in service delivery, weak engagement in preventive healthcare, operational inefficiencies and rising healthcare costs.

According to Akaketwa, the ideas submitted this year covered a broad range of areas, including diagnostics, preventive healthcare, artificial intelligence, rural healthcare, rehabilitation, data protection and emergency response.

The competition progressed through several stages of screening, presentations, mentorship and refinement. The initial pool of 372 submissions was narrowed to the Top 20 and then Top 15, before 10 teams were selected for the grand finale.

Akaketwa said mentorship had played a key role in helping participants move beyond initial concepts and develop solutions with a better understanding of real-world healthcare requirements.

“Each of the Top 15 teams was assigned a mentor. The mentors worked with the teams to challenge their assumptions, strengthen their research, understand healthcare workflows, refine their solutions and think through what would be required to take those solutions into implementation,” he said.

At the finale, the 10 finalists will pitch their solutions before a judging panel comprising Cimas leadership and external experts from the healthcare, technology, innovation and industry sectors.

The overall winner will receive US$3,500, while the second- and third-placed teams will receive US$2,000 and US$1,500, respectively.

However, Cimas says the initiative is intended to offer participants opportunities beyond the prize money, including further validation, incubation, partnerships and potential pilot programmes.

“Our Healthathon is about identifying innovations that have the potential to create real healthcare impact,” Akaketwa said. “Beyond the monetary prizes, participants stand to gain something even more valuable, the opportunity to have their innovations considered for piloting with Cimas Health Group and to contribute to shaping the future of healthcare in Zimbabwe.”

Akaketwa said the ultimate measure of the programme would be whether ideas developed through the competition could move into implementation and improve people’s experience of healthcare.

“For us, the real success of Healthathon will be when an idea developed through this challenge moves beyond the competition and begins making a measurable difference in people’s lives,” he said.

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