In a significant stride towards fostering collaboration, ZimHealth Europe, a Geneva-based non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting public health, earlier this year held a meeting with The Honourable Constantine Chiwenga, the Vice President of Zimbabwe and, at the time, Minister of Health. 

The meeting, facilitated by the Permanent Mission of Zimbabwe to the United Nations in Geneva, served as a platform for discussing various issues, providing an update on ZimHealth’s work as well as expressing gratitude for the Minister’s and the Ministry’s invaluable support over the past fourteen years.

The meeting, held in Geneva during the World Health Congress, brought together the office of the Vice President, several members of ZimHealth’s Executive Committee, led by Rutendo Kuwana, senior officials from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Zimbabwean Ambassador to Geneva, Stuart Comberbach and diplomats from the Geneva and Berlin embassies.

One of the primary objectives of this meeting was to express ZimHealth’s gratitude to the Ministry of Health for the unwavering support and cooperation extended to ZimHealth in its mission to improve public health in Zimbabwe. Vice President Chiwenga also reciprocated the Ministry’s appreciation of the ZimHealh’s work in Zimbabwe which has raised well over a million USD since the inception of ZimHealth.

Several other issues discussed included the rollout of mobile clinics by the Ministry of Health, a concerning prevalence of neonatal cancers and the need for research on this topic, as well as legal developments within the Zimbabwe Medicines Control Authority.

The Honourable Chiwenga lauded the NGO’s dedication to working on the betterment of public health in Zimbabwe stating, “If we are to develop economically it can only be done by healthy people.” The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both parties expressing a strong commitment to strengthening their collaboration in the future. 

The Acting Secretary General of ZimHealth emphasised, “We have come together to try to make efforts to respond to any assistance that is required to help the health system in Zimbabwe. We raise funds, resources and also promote any information sharing about the situation in Zimbabwe. The call to action that we have received from the Vice President today is to collaborate with our partners in terms of research, facilities, infrastructure, medicines and so forth.”

ZimHealth Europe remains steadfast in its mission to make healthcare accessible and improve the quality of life for people in Zimbabwe. The organisation’s work continues to serve as a testament to the positive impact that can be achieved when public and private sectors join forces for a common cause.