United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, (PEPFAR) has pledged $128 million dollars towards HIV/AIDS response in Zimbabwe for 2016.
Speaking at a function to end the five year Leadership, Management and Governance Program (LMGP) in Harare today, Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention Zimbabwe Country Director, Dr Beth Barr said the US government is providing $128million dollars which will be channelled towards HIV/AIDS in the country.
“The US government through PEPFAR and CDC-Zimbabwe is providing $128million towards the response to HIV/AIDS,” said Dr Barr.
The US government through PEPFAR also provided $3,4 million towards the implementation of the Leadership management and Governance Program. The program enhanced effective leadership in health planning, program implementation and patient care in the public sector in Zimbabwe.
Speaking at that same event, Principal Investigator of the Health Leadership, Management and Governance Program, (HLMGP), Simbarashe Rusakaniko said that through this 5 year project they have managed to train 1012 health workers across the country.
“We have managed to train about 1012 health workers across all provinces in the country,” said Rusakanhiko.
He added that the programme is aimed at ensuring leadership in health planning, programme implementation and patient care in the public sector in Zimbabwe.
Rusakanhiko also said that one of the goals of the programme is the implementation of the ministry of Health and Child Care National Human Resources for Health policy at all levels of the public of the health sector delivery.
Leadership Management and Governance Project Director, Julia Maradzika said she was confident that the training will continue to improve performance towards quality health care provisions in line with the Ministry of Health’s National Health Strategic Objectives.
Project Facilitator , Gonyora acknowledged the US for the fund as well as the Ministry of Health for giving them the space to assist in strengthening health systems in Zimbabwe.
The programme which started in 2010, spearheaded by the University of Zimbabwe’s Department of Community Medicine (UZ-DCM) was a response to the human resource needs outlined in the ministry of Health’s National Human Resources for Health Policy and Strategic plan (2010- 2014).
The project saw more than 1000 health workers being trained across 10 provinces and all district.
