Zimbabwe boosts domestic funding to sustain family planning services

Chengetai Murimwa

Zimbabwe has intensified efforts to strengthen its health delivery system by increasing domestic financing for family planning and reproductive health services, in a move aimed at cushioning the sector against declining donor support.

Speaking at the International Conference on Family Planning 2025, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the sharp reduction in external assistance has disrupted the supply of essential health commodities, particularly contraceptives.

“In anticipation of donor cuts, Zimbabwe has increased domestic funding for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights to improve self-sustainability and ensure consistent supply of commodities through the Aids Levy established in 1999,” Dr  Mombeshora said.

Dr Mombeshora noted that the government has taken deliberate steps to ensure a steady supply of family planning commodities by introducing a dedicated budget line for contraceptive procurement in the national budget since 2022. This intervention has enabled the government to purchase contraceptives worth US$6.3 million using domestic resources.

In a further drive toward self-reliance, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) and with support from UNFPA Zimbabwe, recently launched the Contraceptive Cost Recovery Framework. The initiative is designed to raise US$2 million annually for reinvestment into family planning programmes and to strengthen service delivery across the country.

Dr Mombeshora said these measures demonstrate Zimbabwe’s commitment to building sustainable access to reproductive health services and reducing dependency on external aid.

“These efforts are part of our broader strategy to ensure that no one is left behind and that every Zimbabwean has access to affordable, quality reproductive health services,” he said.

The government’s renewed focus on domestic resource mobilisation comes at a time when donor support for reproductive health in low- and middle-income countries has been declining, forcing many governments to explore innovative financing models. Zimbabwe’s approach—anchored in leveraging the long-standing Aids Levy and establishing cost recovery mechanisms—is being viewed as a practical model for sustainability in the region