Zim launches US$155m pandemic fund

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

Zimbabwe has launched pandemic preparedness grants backed by about US$155 million in funding and co-financing commitments to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks.

The funding brings together government resources and support from development partners under a multi-sectoral approach aimed at building a resilient public health emergency response system.

Speaking at the launch of the national and multi-country grants in Harare on Monday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said Zimbabwe would now move from early warning to early action in tackling public health threats.

“Preparedness is therefore not simply a health sector priority, it is a national development imperative,” Dr Mombeshora said.

He said the initiative aligned with the country’s Vision 2030 ambitions and the second National Development Strategy (NDS2), reinforcing the link between public health security and sustainable economic development.

Dr Mombeshora said the national grant was worth about US$14.33 million and would run until 2029. Development partners had committed about US$49 million in co-financing, while the government had pledged approximately US$91.8 million in domestic resources.

Zimbabwe is also expected to receive about US$2.49 million under a regional grant valued at US$25.8 million, which supports eight Southern African countries in strengthening disease surveillance and response, particularly to climate-related health threats.

Pandemic Fund executive head Priya Basu, in pre-recorded remarks, described the financing model as demonstrating the fund’s “catalytic power”.

She said the grant of more than US$14 million had helped mobilise additional financing from multilateral institutions, philanthropic organisations and civil society partners, alongside nearly US$92 million in government resources.

“The Fund does not replace domestic commitment. It helps amplify it,” she said.

The initiative seeks to establish a resilient pandemic prevention, preparedness and response system by 2028, bringing together the health, agriculture, environment and other sectors in a coordinated, country-led effort.

Among the targets are the establishment of five public health emergency operations centres to coordinate responses across sectors.

The programme will also strengthen laboratory capacity, targeting five laboratories at national level and 20 at sub-national level. The upgrades are expected to improve diagnostic services, genomic sequencing, antimicrobial resistance testing and biosafety.

More than 10,000 professionals across the public and community health workforce are expected to receive training, while about two million people will be reached through community engagement, multilingual awareness campaigns and digital learning initiatives.

“This project is about more than preparedness for the next pandemic. It’s about building a stronger, more resilient system that protects people every day,” Basu said.

Dr Mombeshora cautioned that the success of the grants would be judged by tangible outcomes rather than the number of activities undertaken.

“Our success will not be measured by the number of activities undertaken, workshops held, or facilities equipped,” he said.

Instead, he said, the focus would be on the country’s ability to detect threats earlier, respond faster, protect frontline health workers and minimise the damage caused by public health emergencies.

He called for realistic work plans, transparent procurement procedures and proper accountability for the resources committed to the programme.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care will lead coordination, with Dr Mombeshora urging participating ministries and development partners to respect one another’s mandates to ensure effective implementation.

The implementing entities are the African Development Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UNICEF and the World Health Organization.