Health in Zimbabwe

The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) leads national health policy, public programmes, surveillance and service planning. Local authorities provide municipal clinics and public-health functions, while mission and faith-based organisations, private providers and community organisations extend access. Village Health Workers support outreach, health education, prevention and referral, especially where transport and distance make facility visits difficult. A common care pathway starts with a Village Health Worker, Rural Health Centre, Polyclinic, municipal clinic or mission or private clinic. Patients may then be referred to a District Hospital, Provincial Hospital or Central Hospital for more complex diagnostics, surgery, intensive care or specialist treatment. Provincial and central hospitals are concentrated in urban areas, so rural and remote communities often face longer journeys, limited transport and uneven service availability. Preventive services include routine and catch-up immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention and testing, tuberculosis and malaria screening, child growth and nutrition checks, water and sanitation education, blood-pressure and glucose screening, cervical-cancer screening where available, and mental-health detection. Routine child immunisation is free at public facilities. Service availability and appointment timing depend on the facility and programme. During treatment, facilities may provide outpatient and inpatient care, maternity and emergency obstetric services, surgery, laboratory and imaging services, HIV antiretroviral treatment, tuberculosis care, malaria testing and treatment, non-communicable disease treatment, mental-health, dental and eye care, rehabilitation and palliative care. A facility may not offer every service every day, so patients should confirm availability by phone when possible. The Impilo service can help locate listed facilities without an account, but its search listings and opening hours should be verified directly. Its protected functions can include records, results, prescriptions, appointments, referrals, dependants and coverage or payment information after sign-in; digital use is not universal. After discharge or referral, follow-up may include chronic HIV, tuberculosis or non-communicable disease medicines, maternal and newborn checks, immunisation appointments, rehabilitation, mental-health care, palliative support or community and home services. Continuity can be affected by medicine stockouts, transport problems, workforce shortages and referral delays. Zimbabwe reported a population health-facility distance baseline of 83% within 10 kilometres in 2009, while a 2019 profile recorded public-facility density of about 1.1 facilities per 10,000 people; these figures do not mean that every community has equal access today. For a medical emergency, go to the nearest hospital emergency department or call 999 for ambulance, police or fire services. 112 is an alternative emergency number, and 2019 is the national toll-free health hotline. Chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, stroke signs, uncontrolled bleeding, serious injury or fever in an infant, pregnancy emergencies and reduced fetal movement require immediate attention. Severe watery diarrhoea calls for oral rehydration solution and same-day care. In a malaria area, seek testing within 24 hours of fever because malaria risk differs substantially between regions. The Constitution of Zimbabwe provides citizens and permanent residents with access to basic healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, and protects basic care for chronic illness. No person may be refused emergency medical treatment. Patients have rights to consent and participation, dignity, confidentiality and accurate health information, while they must provide truthful information, cooperate with care and follow reasonable facility rules. Routine fees, medical-aid arrangements, waivers and medicine charges vary by provider and should be confirmed before non-emergency treatment where possible. Medicines should be checked through licensed pharmacies and providers. The Essential Drugs List of Zimbabwe (EDLIZ) and programme guidelines support rational medicine use, while NATPharm and the Zimbabwe Automated System for Essential Medicines and Medical Supplies support national distribution. Stockouts and affordability barriers remain possible, and informal or counterfeit medicines create additional risks. The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) maintains registers for approved medicines, licensed premises and professionals and carries out inspections. The Health Professions Authority (HPA) registers health-profession councils and facilities, and the Medical and Dental Professions Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ) registers medical and dental practitioners. Zimbabwe's health system faces workforce shortages, uneven staff distribution, inadequate or outdated equipment, procurement and financing delays, medicine stockouts, rural access barriers and recurring cholera, polio and other outbreaks. In 2024, UNICEF-supported reporting recorded 388,859 children receiving DTP3, 2,285,237 cholera vaccinations and 4,265,483 children under ten reached by a polio campaign; the reported zero-dose share was 8%, with persistent gaps among remote, peri-urban and mobile populations. The 2024 maternal mortality estimate was 363 per 100,000 live births, under-five mortality was 69 per 1,000, neonatal mortality was 37 per 1,000 and skilled birth attendance was 85%. Malaria is partly endemic: a 2024 WHO profile based on validated 2023 data classified 4.7 million people as living in high-transmission areas, 8.2 million in low-transmission areas and 3.5 million in malaria-free areas. The same profile reported 248,699 presumed or confirmed cases, estimated 635,600 cases and estimated 1,600 deaths. HIV, tuberculosis, respiratory infections, neonatal disorders, diarrhoeal disease, malnutrition, road injuries and self-harm remain major health concerns, while cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, oral health problems and mental-health needs are increasing.