Harare, (New Ziana) –Drafting of the long awaited National Health Insurance Bill is at an advanced stage with the proposed legislation expected to be tabled the Parliament of Zimbabwe by June this year, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora told a press conference on Friday that the legislation will go a long way in demonstrating government commitment to making universal health coverage a reality.

“The Ministry (of Health and Child Care) is fast-tracking the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme. A draft bill is already in place, and we aim to present it to Parliament by June this year,” he said.

The National Health Insurance Scheme is designed to ensure that health services are accessible to all citizens, in line with Section 76 of the Zimbabwean Constitution, which provides that “every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has the right to have access to basic healthcare services.” The legislation is expected to ensure that all citizens have access to health services at public healthcare institutions.

According to statistics from the Global Press Journal, only 10 percent of Zimbabweans are currently covered by medical aid, leaving 90 percent without any form of health insurance, exposing the majority of the population to out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

To support health services, the government has also implemented domestic financing mechanisms such as the National Aids Trust Fund, a levy on airtime and data to support access to medicines, blood services, and dialysis, as well as introduced a tax on sugar and fast foods.

New Ziana