Health Committee calls on govt to address funding gaps and critical shortages in 2025 Budget

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has highlighted severe funding and service delivery challenges within Zimbabwe’s health sector, urging the government to prioritise sustainable healthcare funding in the 2025 budget.

Presenting findings from recent public consultations at the ongoing 2025 budget meetings, the chairperson of the health committee Dr Josiah Makombe, emphasised that a lack of budgetary support and underinvestment have hampered access to quality healthcare, with pressing shortages in critical services.

“The national budget disbursement for Health and Child Care remains unjustifiably low at only 22 percent,” said Dr Makombe, noting disparities with other sectors such as transport and infrastructure, which stands at 160 percent. 

There is a low supply of critical drugs at 22 percent, while maternal mortality rates are still high, and secondary and tertiary health institutions lack essential facilities like functioning theatres, Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and ambulances.

“Proportion of secondary level health institutions with function theatre is at 91 against the target of 100. Proportion of health facilities with at least 80- percent of tracer medicines above minimum levels is at 42.5 against a target of 70. 

“Proportion of tertiary hospitals offering selected services (ICU/ High Dependency Unit [HDU], renal dialysis, echocardiography, CT scan, functional ambulance services) is at 25 against 38,” said the health chairperson.

The health sector in Zimbabwe faces an urgent funding gap, exacerbated by a reduction in international support, including the impending withdrawal of the Health Resilience Fund in 2025. 

“We have been reliant on donor contributions for areas like HIV, AIDS, TB and maternal health,” Dr Makombe pointed out. 

With these resources drying up, the committee highlighted that responsibility falls to the Treasury, which will need to increase domestic health financing to “avert a health catastrophe.”

The health committee proposed a total budget of ZWG9.2 billion for 2025, of which 47 percent goes towards employment costs against standard of 30 percent , crowding out other non-wage expenditure.

“Investment in the health sector remains worrisome due to minimal spending towards capital expenditure,” Dr Makombe said. 

In the context of the Abuja Declaration, which advises African governments to allocate at least 15 percent of national budgets to health, Zimbabwe’s commitment has dwindled to single-digit percentages, said the health chairperson, adding that per capita health spending remains far below global standards. 

“Sustainable investment in health is essential, as well as finalising policies like the National Health Insurance Scheme, which would drive Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” he said.

Dr Makombe noted there was a surge in non-communicable diseases especially all types of cancer now the leading causes of death in Zimbabwe.

He therefore highlighted the necessity of expanding funding for treatment facilities and establishing rehabilitation centres to manage these diseases.

 “Drug and substance abuse has become an additional burden on the healthcare system,” he stated, calling for robust policy interventions and funding to address this growing issue.

The health chairperson added there was a continuous challenge of healthcare workforce attention,  seen on an  inadequate health workforce thereby compromising the quality of healthcare 

To address the health sector’s pressing needs, Dr Makombe’s committee proposed a series of recommendations such as increased domestic resource allocation.

“The 2025 budget should reflect a robust allocation to health, especially given the anticipated $90 million annual funding gap with the cessation of donor funding,” he said.

With ongoing staff shortages, the committee recommends ring-fencing funds for community health worker stipends, upskilling programmes and recruitment to strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots level.

The health committee also urged the government to “unlock the bottlenecks around utilisation of earmarked taxes such as airtime levy, sugar tax for the targeted purpose and strengthen capacity in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.”

Stressing the link between Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and health outcomes, Dr Makombe recommended that investments be directed toward improving water access and infrastructure to mitigate crises like cholera and typhoid.

The committee also emphasised on streamlined procurement, preventive maintenance, and supplier-based equipment support as critical for hospitals, with Dr Makombe noting this was important so as to reduce emergency repair costs and sustain equipment functionality.

Dr Makombe expressed the urgency for a comprehensive health budget in 2025 to meet Zimbabwe’s critical healthcare needs.

“Good health leads to country prosperity and peace of souls,” he concluded, urging the government to adopt a holistic approach in bolstering healthcare systems and infrastructure to provide equitable access for all Zimbabweans.