Zim Pushes Shock-Proof Health Financing At AU Summit

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, has called for stronger collaboration between Ministries of Finance and Health across Africa to secure sustainable health financing.

In his presentation delivered at the Dialogue on Health Finance during the African Union Summit, Mombeshora stressed that domestic resource mobilisation must anchor Africa’s health systems.

He said Zimbabwe is “leading the way by leveraging the AIDS Levy to ensure predictable funding for health programmes," while introducing targeted taxes on sugar and fast foods to combat non-communicable diseases.

The Minister also highlighted efforts to mobilise structured contributions from the mining and agriculture sectors as part of broader reforms aimed at building shock-proof health systems.

The remarks come as African countries face mounting fiscal pressures, declining donor inflows and rising health burdens, prompting renewed emphasis on self-sustaining financing models aligned with national development strategies.