Author: Eric Salwin

Eric Salwin is a content marketing professional at CWGH, In charge of all digital platforms that help the organization attract visitors, digital advocacy, and conducting digital awareness campaigns. Previously, Eric worked as a customer relationship Technician for a tech startup for more than 5 years. He holds an IT technician specialist certification from University of Zimbabwe.
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Zimbabwe wins top post at Africa Union Summit

Zimbabwe wins top post at the Africa Union Summit:

                                                         

Parliamentarians from various African countries gathered to discuss health financing in Africa. The meeting, held on 11th and 12th July 2023 in Nairobi,At the sidelines of the African Union Summit resulted in the creation of the Parliamentarian Task Force on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Health in Africa. The task force aims to engage parliamentarians in their respective countries to mobilize national resources for health, strengthen community health, achieve universal health coverage, and address funding gaps for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

Zimbabwe was represented at the meeting by Hon MP Dr Mathew Nyashanu, Hon MP Dr Ruth Labode, Hon MP Daniel Molokele, and Mr Itai Rusike. Hon MP Daniel Molokele from Zimbabwe was elected as the Co-Chairperson of the Parliamentarians Task Force on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Health in Africa, alongside Senegal.

The donor community is advocating for sustainability and wants countries to prioritize health as a national development goal. They aim to drive political will and encourage governments to allocate a larger share of their budgets to the health sector while decreasing reliance on external aid. This shift towards a sustainable and self-reliant health financing model is spearheaded by GFAN Africa, which prioritizes the long-term development and resilience of countries’ health delivery systems. This initiative will help countries respond better to future health emergencies like COVID-19.

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DECLARATION BY THE PARLIAMENTARIANS TASKFORCE ON DOMESTIC RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR HEALTH IN AFRICA ON THE SIDELINES OF THE AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT

THE NAIROBI DECLARATION 2023

PREAMBLE

We, Parliamentarians from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal,

Zambia and Zimbabwe, gathered in Nairobi on 11th & 12th July 2023 at the sidelines of the

African Union Summit, to reflect and discuss health financing in Africa.

Cognizant of the need to formalize genuine collaboration between parliamentarians and Civil

Society, we propose for an effective advocacy program on sustainable domestic resource

mobilization for health in Africa, through a platform for exchanging information, sharing best

practices, strengthening political and synergies.

Our recommendations, resulted in the creation of the Parliamentarian Task Force on Domestic

Resource Mobilization for Health in Africa, with the objectives of engaging parliamentarians in

their respective countries on issues such as the mobilization of national resources for health;

strengthening of community health; universal health coverage; and addressing gaps in funding

for the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria. We, therefore, unite our voices in support of

this declaration:

CONTEXT

The African Union member states have subscribed to a solid normative legal framework on the

right to health; they have committed to its Agenda 2063, whose aim is to transform the potential

threat posed by the expected doubling of its young population by 2050, into a «demographic

dividend», bringing economic growth and higher living standards, and they also subscribed

to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to significantly increase the health

budget to ensure that everyone benefits from universal health coverage (UHC).

Heads of state and government have also made declarations and commitments on health

financing, notably at the 32nd Ordinary Conference of the African Union in Addis Ababa in

February 2019, during which they endorsed the deliberations of the African Leaders’ Meeting

(ALM) and adopted declarations in favor of mobilizing domestic resources for health financing

in Africa.

Notably, many African states are struggling to meet their commitments to mobilize domestic

resources, yet investing in health is investing in human capital, creating stable jobs, stimulating

economic growth and reducing inequalities.

While investments in community health programs are cost-effective, we note with concern the

lack of prioritisation and adequate budgets for the same. These investments contribute to the

reduction of health inequalities, ensuring access to basic services for vulnerable and marginalized

populations; they deliver high quality services and improve overall health outcomes and hence

need to be prioritised.

We acknowledge the support and collaboration of these partners.COMMITMENTS

We are committed to advocate for :

  • Domestic resource mobilization for health including push for the move from commitment

to action, co-financing of Global Fund and other development partners programs for HIV,

TB and Malaria, to build equitable and resilient health systems, focused on people centered

approach and integrated health services (addressing HIV, TB and Malaria and other health

issues based on people’s needs and disease burden);

  • Community Health system strengthening, including ensuring a recognized status for

Community Health Workers, financing of Community Health Strategy, support for community

led responses, and incorporation of community, rights and gender considerations in HIV, TB

and malaria programming;

  • Incorporating universal health coverage as a goal in national health policy frameworks,

strategically connected to broader inter-ministerial priorities such as emergency

preparedness, social stability, climate, economy and finance;

  • Bridging financial and implementation gaps of HIV, TB, Malaria, Health Systems Strengthening,

Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response and Community Health Systems in the

National Strategic Plans for the countries;

  • Establish a space for exchange and sharing of good practices among parliamentarians from

different regions of Africa;

  • Create synergies with civil society on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Health in Africa.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That African governments, in a multi-sectoral approach, work in concert with parliamentarians,

civil society and the private sector to implement sustainable strategies for mobilizing domestic

resources and for a significant increase in health budgets, given that a healthy nation is

indispensable to Africa’s socio-economic transformation, as envisaged in Agenda 2063.

African governments, with the aim of achieving universal health coverage by 2030, accelerate

the institutionalization of community health agents to ensure the sustainability of their actions.

This means formalizing their integration into health systems, professionalizing their training and

mobilizing the resources needed to pay them.DECLARATION_MP_Nairobi_ENG

Nairobi, July 12, 2023

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The government has a responsibility to provide accessible and supportive drug rehabilitation and counselling facilities.

UHC Day Celebrations

DRUG abuse is now a humanitarian disaster that is inflicting harm to the young generation, perpetuating violence and poverty especially among the low-income and vulnerable communities, health stakeholders have said.

Speaking to NewsDay, Community Working Group on Health  executive director Itai Rusike, said there is need to focus on social support structures.

“We can only solve our current problems that have resulted in the surging drug abuse, overdose and deaths through a public health approach. The government should invest in proven services and care to address substance abuse and mental health needs,” he said.

Rusike said there is need to also invest in youth-friendly drug rehabilitation and counselling services instead of placing the burden of care on families who lack information and tools to respond to the scourge.

“Families should get greater support from government and other stakeholders to promote communication and to help those facing drug abuse challenges. We need to prioritise prevention of drug abuse and tackle the drivers of drug abuse.

“The root cause of drug abuse in Zimbabwe is lack of jobs and enterprise opportunities, recreation facilities and opportunities for young people to participate in decisions affecting their lives,” said Rusike.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said government would come up with tougher laws to deter drug dealers from preying on youths.

For Youths by Youths team leader, Wilbert Jena, said there was need to continue raising awareness against drug and substance use through different strategies including youth friendly strategies.

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CWGH Director Itai Rusike Joins High-Level National Dialogue on Health Financing , Switzerland

The CWGH Director, Mr. Itai Rusike, was invited to and attended a panel discussion on domestic health financing in Africa with the theme “Advancing Health Financing Reforms through Inclusive Dialogue: National Health Financing Dialogue in SADC Countries”. The event was attended by Ministers of Health, policymakers, development partners, and other CSOs. It took place on May 25th, 2023, in Switzerland.In his words he said “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to hold a productive dialogue meeting in partnership with the Parliament of Zimbabwe, civil society, and the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists. Our delegation from civil society included representatives from various constituent groups from across the country, as well as traditional leaders who serve as custodians of primary health at the community level, and community health workers who have a direct interface with the community. In Africa, community health workers play a crucial role as trusted team for health interests. The media was also invited to this meeting to help prioritize health stories and understand health financing processes. We have come together to issue a joint statement that we hope to present at the international dialogue. It is important for Zimbabwe to continue holding inclusive high-level national dialogues, and we look forward to further follow-up from Parliament and the media. Any support to push for this national level effort would be greatly appreciated.” Watch the video

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Harare records 21 Cholera cases

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HARARE City Council’s health services director Prosper Chonzi yesterday confirmed a cholera outbreak in the capital, and urged residents to help in keeping the disease under control.

“We now have 21 cases, seven confirmed cases and these are mainly coming from the western suburbs,” Chonzi said.

“Budiriro has four confirmed cases, Glen View 3 has two, and one from Mt Pleasant Heights. What this means is that we should take this outbreak seriously because it has the potential to spread like a veld fire. We need to be on high alert.”

This came as health experts warned that the cholera outbreak may end up developing into an uncontrollable epidemic if there is no decisive response to it.

The first cholera case was reported on February 12 this year in Chegutu, Mashonaland West province, but the waterborne disease has since spread to nine of the country’s 10 provinces.

While no case has been detected in Matabeleland North, neighbouring Matabeleland South is emerging as a hotspot.

Speaking to NewsDay yesterday, Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike said the continued presence of cholera is a cause for concern.

“The people of Zimbabwe should be worried by the continued presence of cholera in the country given that the health system has been weakened by the lack of sustainable domestic health financing, hyperinflation and outflow of health workers,” Rusike said.

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CWGH strengthens accountability for COVID-19 and equitable access to vaccines in Zimbabwe

The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has embarked on a project to strengthen
accountability for COVID-19 resources and equitable access to vaccines as the country battles
with the pandemic that has claimed millions of lives across the globe.
The two-year project, Accountable and Transparent COVID-19 Finances and Equitable Access to
Vaccines in Zimbabwe, is meant to stimulate dialogue through advocacy to policy makers,
decision-makers in health and social services and the media to improve accountability for COVID19 and equitable access to vaccines in the country.
Funded by the Nigerian-based Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), the project emphasizes on
improving health literacy, health financing and financial literacy to enhance appreciation across
all levels that a stronger and more resilient health system is better placed to respond to COVID19 pandemic challenges while ensuring continuity of operations to address other health needs of
the population.
Key issues affecting access to vaccines by communities will be raised and thus generating
evidence on bottlenecks and increase national dialogue with the view to influence policy
implementation for better access to vaccines. The evidence will be used to argue for improved
domestic funding for health in order to reduce health system fragility to better address the
current public health treats while adequately handling the disease burden.
The initiative is tailored to promote community-driven compliance and adherence to
recommended public health and social measures of COVID-19 while holding government
accountable for sustainable response to the pandemic. This involves monitoring disbursements
made to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) ensuring that the allocated resources are
used to respond to COVID-19 and assessing measures put in place to ensure continuity of other
health services mid-pandemic.
The media will be capacitated to play a key role in the implementation of this strategy to inform
the decision makers and communities and advance the desired changes.
Zimbabwe has to date 264,127 confirmed cases, 5672 deaths and a total of 13,491,312 vaccine
doses have been administered. The government has been a major funder of the response to
Covid-19 committing at least USD$100 million for vaccine procurement. However, donors and
partners including the World Health Organization, the World Bank, UNICEF and governments
such as China, the United Kingdom have also contributed significant amounts.
However, the government has failed to convincingly account for use of funds received in
responding to COVID-19. This is the part of the wider health/financial literacy deficiencies that
require urgent addressing if the response is to benefit the intended beneficiaries.
Civil society has been on forefront demanding accountability through the various platforms that
have been made available since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) is a network of national membership based civil
society and community based organization who aim to collectively enhance community participation in
health in Zimbabwe.

For further information, please contact:
______________________
Itai Rusike (Mr)
Executive Director
Community Working Group on Health (CWGH)
4 O’connor Crescent, Cranborne
Harare, Zimbabwe
Mobile: +263 77236 3991 / 0719363991
Tel: +263-242-573285|573286
Email: itai@cwgh.co.zw
Website: www.cwgh.co.zw
“Health is Your Right and Responsibility”