ZIMBABWE – The Government of Zimbabwe, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), has formally unveiled its first National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Strategy (NSOAS) for the period 2022-2025.
The move follows the WHA (World Health Assembly) 68.15 resolution which recognized the central role of surgery and anesthesia care in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The WHO Zimbabwe Country Office highlighted that the four-year strategy aims to address challenges Zimbabwe faces in providing timely, affordable, safe and quality surgical services as well as address the burden of disease amenable to surgical care in the country.
“The strategy will promote access to surgical services from district level, a positive move towards strengthening primary health care as 83% of key tracer surgical operations were being performed at central and provincial hospitals,” the agency said.
It will also strengthen the health system in Zimbabwe by guiding investments towards provision and improving the capacity to deliver surgical care at the district hospital level as a means to attaining Universal Health Coverage, Equitable Access and Quality.
“The NSOAS is aligned to the National Health Strategy (2021 -2025) which seeks to achieve the highest possible level of health and quality of life for all people in Zimbabwe by 2030,” said WHO.
In addition, the strategic document will address infrastructure and equipment related gaps that exist in essential surgical care despite improvements done as part of the COVID-19 response infrastructural investments.
WHO further said that Zimbabwe becomes the 5th member state in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and 9th in Africa to develop and launch its NSOAS.
According to the agency, the implementation of NSOA strategy is going to ensure that all people in need of Surgical, Obstetrics and Anaesthesia (SOA) services receive quality and timely care at all levels of the healthcare system.
“The NSOAS is timely as Zimbabwe is dealing with a double burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, with NCDs being 5th of the top 10 leading causes of death in the country,” the agency said.
In addition, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) was supported with financial and technical assistance from the WHO and the SDG3 GAP Signatory partners, SADC SOA Technical Experts Working Group (TEWG) and various professional associations in the field of SOA.
“The development of the NSOAS began in 2018 under the MoHCC leadership and adopted a Whole of Government and Whole of Society, approach, which saw stronger participation of stakeholders in the process towards the realization of this strategic policy document,” the agency underscored.
WHO stressed that by prioritizing surgical care in the health care agenda, financial risk protection for patients is improved while improving access to surgical services thus contributing substantially to economic growth in Zimbabwe and the region.
“By launching this strategy as Zimbabwe, we are showing our commitment and taking a positive step in meeting our international obligations,” said Vice President and MoHCC Minister Dr Constantino Chiwenga during the launch.
He emphasized that is now left is the implementation and translating of the strategic document into action while calling for additional investments required to tackle the emerging challenge of NCDs, which include conditions amenable to surgical care.
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