Zimbabwe’s health sector reforms have quietly placed continuity of donor-funded life saving programmes under scrutiny, as the Ministry of Health and Child Care moves to reassure the Global Fund of stability amid internal restructuring.
The issue surfaced during an early courtesy call between Secretary for Health and Child Care Aspect Maunganidze and Dr Enkhjin Bavuu, recently appointed Senior Fund Portfolio Manager for Zimbabwe at the Global Fund.
Dr Maunganidze said the early engagement was deliberate, aimed at preserving alignment at a sensitive transition point for both institutions.
“Zimbabwe values this opportunity to engage with you early in your tenure, and we look forward to a close and constructive working relationship,” he said.
The Global Fund remains a critical financier of Zimbabwe’s response to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, supporting medicines, diagnostics, health-worker programmes and disease surveillance systems that underpin routine service delivery across the country.
Dr Maunganidze underscored the depth of the partnership.
“Zimbabwe greatly values its longstanding partnership with the Global Fund, which has been central to the country’s response to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, and to strengthening critical components of our health system,” he said.
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The meeting comes as the Ministry reviews its organisational structure a process that, if mishandled, can disrupt programme coordination, reporting systems and procurement pipelines tied to donor financing.
Seeking to pre-empt such concerns, Dr Maunganidze said the reforms were designed to strengthen, not weaken, existing programmes.
“The Ministry is currently engaged in discussions around a new organisational structure aimed at improving efficiency, coordination and long-term sustainability, and there is no intention to regress on the progress achieved through Global Fund support,” he said.
He added that sustained engagement with the Global Fund would be critical during the transition.
“We look forward to your support and continued dialogue as we navigate this process together,” Dr Maunganidze said.
He said government’s position on accountability and outcomes.
“The Ministry remains committed to transparency, partnership and results, and to ensuring that Global Fund investments continue to deliver maximum impact for the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
As Zimbabwe undertakes reform, the central test will be whether essential HIV, TB and malaria services remain uninterrupted a measure that, for patients, matters more than policy architecture.
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