Zimbabwe to invest $60 per capita on health

Zimbabwe to invest $60 per capita on health
Published: 22 June 2018
THE recently launched Zimbabwe National Health Financing Policy (ZNHFP) has tabled proposals to invest $60 per capita annually to improve health access in the country.

According to the policy document the investment is among a number of measures that will be adopted to increase universal health coverage (UHC).

"Government will seek to adopt a raft of measures to strengthen domestic health financing and abide by the Abuja Declaration on Health where not less than 15 percent of the budget shall be allocated to health and $60 per capita per year shall be invested. Options for progressive earmarked taxes and levies to raise additional resources for health will be explored," says the policy in part.

ZNHFP states that various forms of mandatory prepayment mechanisms such as social health insurance, community based health insurance, national health insurance especially for the informal sector and rural areas as a means of achieving UHC will be encouraged.

Private health insurance will continue to be available as a voluntary prepayment mechanism for services not covered in the minimum benefits package. Special revenue generation provisions will be requested for diseases of high national public health concern or significance as and when they emerge.

The policy perceives that all external aid for health will be harmonised, coordinated, monitored and evaluated in line with health priorities and plans of the government of Zimbabwe, while government continues to encourage and expand involvement of local philanthropy and charities for special health initiatives at all levels of care.

"Current mechanism to raise additional revenue to the health sector that has been successful and sustainable will be maintained and expanded where feasible. Examples include the National Aids Levy, Health Services Fund, Workman's Compensation Fund, Assisted Medical Treatment Order, and Accident Victims Compensation Fund on Motor Vehicle Insurance," says the policy.

However, renowned economist Prosper Chitambara said caution was needed for strategy to work.

"If the proposals and policy are entirely hinged on public funding raised through insurance and taxes, adequate resources may be difficult to raise thereby compromising health services delivery. On paper such proposals may sound good and even countries with vibrant economies have such arrangements but in our case it will be unsustainable to base health financing on people who are already struggling," he said.

Former health and child care minister Henry Madzorera pointed out that while part of the policy's objectives are noble and commendable, there are questions that need answers.

"How is the proposed national mandatory prepayment scheme going to work? How are we going to collect premiums from the informal sector, which is 90 percent of the working population? The mention of social health insurance and other forms

of community based self-help schemes gives false hope to the nation as such voluntary arrangements have failed dismally the world over . There is no mention of the complete abolition of user fees. This demon called user fees is completely retrogressive and has failed to improve the quality of care in the public sector," he said.

He noted that a worrisome proposal in the policy is the purchase of health services in both the private and public sectors using public funds citing that this will in the long run, result in misplacing priorities.

"…universal health coverage can only be achieved through mandatory tax based financing but this does not mean that taxation levels should be increased. A good beginning is improving transparency and accountability of the government to the people of Zimbabwe, and rationalising the use of existing taxes like the sin taxes (tobacco and alcohol taxes), which should go to health care," he added.
- fingaz
Tags: Health,

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