Amid ongoing struggles to provide essential services in public hospitals, the government has claimed it had already planned to take control of the health sector before former U.S. President Donald Trump’s unexpected executive order.
On January 20, Trump issued a directive that temporarily halted funding for global health programs supported by USAID, the U.S.’s largest humanitarian agency, for 90 days. This raised concerns about setbacks in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria, particularly in Zimbabwe and across Africa, where USAID plays a crucial role in public healthcare.
Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora stated that the government had already decided to take full responsibility for healthcare workers, citing challenges in accountability and reporting structures for those employed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
“We had planned to ensure all health workers were employed directly by the ministry because we faced accountability issues. In some cases, we were unclear about their reporting structures,” Mombeshora explained.
Although the U.S. later reversed its decision to suspend health-related funding, delays in medicine deliveries mean current stocks will only last until June.
Addressing journalists in Harare, Mombeshora said the government had anticipated the situation and procured additional medicines to cover the period from June to September. However, he acknowledged inconsistencies in the procurement process, stating that some supplies had been halted while tenders had been issued for further acquisitions.
“We had secured medicines for HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, and they will be delivered in phases. Our current stock is sufficient until the end of June, but the next batch, meant to cover the following months, has been delayed. Since we cannot wait for USAID’s review process to conclude, we have already issued tenders to procure additional medicines,” he said.
Beyond funding medication, USAID has also been instrumental in supplying condoms and paying salaries for nurses and doctors working in opportunistic infection clinics across Zimbabwe.
Mombeshora reassured the public that HIV treatment programs would continue without disruption. “There’s no need for panic or hoarding of medication. Those on treatment will receive their supplies as usual,” he stated.
According to the minister, over 19,000 village health workers, along with more than a thousand nurses and doctors, were on USAID’s payroll before the funding freeze.
Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector, already weakened by years of underfunding and neglect, has suffered further setbacks as other humanitarian organizations withdraw or scale down their support following the U.S. policy shift.
With uncertainty still surrounding the long-term impact of these funding changes, the government now faces the challenge of securing sustainable solutions to keep the public health system running.
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