Zimbabwe AIDS Network (ZAN) is noting with concern the slow pace in addressing the health workers’ strike, which inadvertently is affecting an already fragile public health delivery system.
As a result, ZAN is observing the gradual disappearance of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) services.
Ironically, these sad developments are emerging at a time the country recently committed the global call for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the United Nations High Level Meeting on UHC (UNHLM) on UHC.
In view of this, we express our solidarity with health workers who work tirelessly in the interests of their patients’ health and well-being, as part of their commitment to realising their patients’ human rights, including the right to health.
Health is a fundamental human right enshrined in the section 76 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and everyone must enjoy this right.
Over the past two months, health workers have downed tools protesting over the unavailability of medicines, equipment and other sundries to assist patients.
ZAN supports the suggestions made by civil society organizations for the government to make a swift response through the Minister of Health to end this “endemic crisis by widening the participation of stakeholders in the development and implementation of policies for better health and developing innovative and new approaches in management and delivery of services in ways which enhance access, community satisfaction and local accountability”.
We thus urge the following:
Acknowledgement that the health situation is gradually degenerating into a social protection emergency issue.
Respond as a matter of urgency to the demands being made by the Human Resource for Health
Institute measures to ensure that citizens continue to access quality public health care
The on-going fiscal policy development place public health delivery as an investment priority through meeting the Abuja and SADC commitments of allocating at least 15% and 11.3% of the national budget to health.