Zimbabwe has recorded greatest achievements in health sector

Since attainment of independence in 1980, Zimbabwe is one of the African countries that have tremendously made great strides in reforming its healthy sector.

During the colonial era, there was uneven distribution of health care services in the country. It was unfortunate that medical assistants were found mostly in urban areas at the expense of other areas in rural areas.

In the early 1980s, the country's health delivery system improved as people could access affordable health care. This was due to increased numbers of clinics and general hospitals that were constructed by the Government nationwide. Patients could no longer walk long distances for them to receive their medical treatment.

Tracing back at what President Robert Mugabe has done to promote the health sector in the country; World Health Organisation (WHO) saw it necessary to appoint him as goodwill ambassador in the fight against non communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa.

President Mugabe's detractors who are mainly regime change agents from the western nations could have forced WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to rescind his appointment. It is known that the funders of United Nations are mostly countries in the west. Most of them are trying by all means possible to embarrass President Mugabe it trying to unconstitutionally remove him from his office.

Zimbabwe has been vigilant in fighting polio. This has been achieved through introducing the polio vaccine into routine immunisation programmes. All infants under the age of five are expected to be vaccinated against polio.

Polio threatened the future of millions of children across Africa. In 2016, during a Ministerial Conference on Immunisation in Africa, WHO Africa Region Director Dr Matshidiso Moeti said there was need to secure a polio-free future among African countries.

Nigeria has been battling to eradicate polio. In 2016, two cases on polio outbreak were reported in that country. Thus, two children were paralyzed by wild polio in that country's north eastern Borno State. According to Zimbabwe Population based HIV Impact Assessment (Zimphia) report the HIV prevalence rate has also declined in the previous years from 24 percent to 14 percent this year.

In trying to further control and reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS pandemic, last year the Government introduced HIV/AIDS self-testing kits. The self-testing kits will help to increase the number of people to know their status so that they will receive the appropriate counseling and medication at the appropriate time.

Also, on the front to improve health delivery in the country, the Government signed a Pharmaceutical deal with China's President Xi Jinping in 2015. Upon implementation, the deal will see construction of a National Pharmaceutical Warehouse. The pharmaceutical warehouse will contribute greatly in saving lives of Zimbabweans. It will also be an important store of emergency supplies throughout the country during natural disasters.

Most Zimbabwean doctors are in charge of State hospitals in the region. For instance in Namibia, foreign doctors are said to be in charge of its 32 State hospitals, and these include Zimbabweans. This depicts how Zimbabwe's health sector is trusted in the region. Had it been that the healthy sector in this country is unclear; other countries in the region could not have allowed these doctors to operate in their nations. Additionally, Government has made efforts to set up a kidney transplant center at Chitungwiza hospital. Instead of going to neighbouring countries to seek treatment, kidney transplants will bring a sigh of relief for most Zimbabweans who are seeking specialists' attention outside the country.

Government has also been responding significantly to all emergencies and healthy hazards. Previously, cases of cholera were efficiently managed with the reported cases being successfully contained. It is comforting that Government has adequate drugs and facilities to deal with such outbreaks.

A number of boreholes were also drilled in most towns and cities' suburbs. Government made this positive decision after it realized that citizens were being infected by drinking tape water.

It is imperative to note that improving the health of a country's population will always improve a country's economy and help secure a more successful future.

In a bid to increase voluntary male circumcision, Population Services International (PSI) and the Ministry of Health and Child Care introduced a pre-pex device where a ring is inserted on a male organ. According to PSI use of pre-pex device is a painless method, which takes about four minutes. The main purpose of male circumcision is that it helps to prevent cervical cancer in women, which is a non communicable disease.