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Dr Parirenyatwa

Samantha Chigogo Herald Reporter
Government, in conjunction with the United Nations and other development partners, yesterday launched the Health Development Fund that seeks to raise $680 million over the next five years to support maternal, reproductive, child and adolescent health-related issues.

The multi-donor fund, formerly known as the Health Transition Fund and covering 2016 to 2020, seeks to ensure equitable access to high quality health services for women and children.

It is expected to result in the reduction of maternal and child mortality by 50 percent.

The fund, managed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is also expected to increase access to family planning, eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2020, malaria and other preventable diseases.

The European Union and the governments of UK, Sweden and Ireland as well as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) have expressed willingness to be part of the HDF in achieving universal access to health in the country.

Launching the fund in Mahusekwa yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said efforts of the HDF were important for the development of the country as they assisted in mobilising funds and resources towards maternal health care.

“Today, we are launching a document which, if fully funded, will see over $600 million mobilised in five years for the health sector especially to ensure the gains that have been made in the last five years are not lost in reproductive, maternal, newborn child health and nutrition and adolescence health.”

He said the partnerships would contribute towards national efforts to achieve goals and strategies aimed at guaranteeing every Zimbabwean access to effective maternal health services.

“The fund’s special focus will be on reduction of maternal mortality and under five mortality (both by 50 percent),ensuring equitable access to quality health services for women and children by 2020 ,and to contribute to the reduction of the unmet need for family planning to 6.5 percent,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

Minister Parirenyatwa challenged his ministry to promote sustainability and continuity of donor health initiatives.

“What we need now is sustainability of these projects. Together with HDF, we will ensure that momentum is not lost on the activities that are already under implementation. Quality and equity should be given more attention in the future and I know that as implementation continues, low cost high impact interventions will be priority,” he said.

The HDF would also ensure that the recent manifestation of non communicable diseases in the country was urgently dealt with.

“We are now faced with an increase in non-communicable diseases burden which, in solidarity with other health partners, we need to deal with. We have not yet managed to rein in the maternal deaths due to preventable causes.”

Minister Parirenyatwa said primary health care facilities would ensure that maternal fees were scrapped at district hospitals. This would in turn promote the fund’s efforts in providing free medication and treatment of pregnant women and children.