The Abuja declaration signed by 53 African countries, including Zimbabwe, in Nigeria in April 2000, stipulates that national annual budgets should allocate 15% to health – especially to fight malaria.
However, Zimbabwe has constantly failed to meet that minimum threshold. The 2011 budget allocated 8.9% to health – the highest in the last decade.
The worst scenario existed when President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) led government was in power. In 1995 Zimbabwe spent 2.3% on health – the lowest allocation on record.
Portia Manangazira, the Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Health Ministry, said Zimbabwe was unlikely to meet the 2015 Millennium Development Goal on health due to the inadequate allocations.
“It is sad to note that we, as a country, are failing to even achieve a two figure digit in terms of the Abuja Declaration,” she said.
Mananganzira also pointed out that though the country’s economy was not doing well, health should still be given priority.
Post published in: Health