Health and Healthcare Delivery in Zimbabwe: Past and Present

Abstract

Zimbabwe did not achieve the health-related 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and unless bold measures to improve the situation are taken, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) health targets could be missed too. Understanding the healthcare challenges in Zimbabwe is key in proposing suggestions for positioning the country’s healthcare delivery system along the path of the 2030 SDGs. This chapter aimed to explore the key issues impacting Zimbabwe’s path toward ensuring healthy living and well-being (SDG3). It sheds light on the state of health and healthcare delivery in Zimbabwe since independence. This was achieved through a review and synthesis of literature and statistics on selected health-related indicators drawn from the United Nations (UN) tier classification of SDGs. The review showed that inadequate healthcare financing, more spending on salaries than on service delivery, the bias of public healthcare spending toward urban-based higher-level health facilities, and lack of community participation in health matters are among the challenges impacting efficient healthcare delivery in Zimbabwe. To improve health and healthcare delivery in the country, there is a need to enhance community participation in health issues, adequately equip lower-level health facilities, adopt strategies to retain health personnel, and raise additional resources for healthcare delivery.