Harare, (New Ziana) — Zimbabwe has set an ambitious goal to halve neonatal deaths within two years, aiming to reduce the rate from 37 to 20 deaths per 1,000 live births, in tandem with similar falls in maternal mortality.
Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary, Dr Aspect Maunganidze announced the target at a Health Sector Working Group meeting in Harare, saying the government is prioritizing newborn survival after progress in reducing maternal deaths to 363 per 100,000 live births, according to the 2024 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS).
“Any loss of a child is not desirable,” Maunganidze said. “We are strengthening our equipment, human resources, and referral systems to make sure neonatal mortality is reduced to at least 20 within two years.”
The Ministry’s Technical Working Group on Family Health has identified staff shortages, weak referral systems, and inadequate equipment as key obstacles to lowering newborn deaths.
Rural areas, where doctors and midwives are scarce, remain the most affected. Maunganidze noted that while Zimbabwe has made strong progress in lowering maternal mortality, neonatal and perinatal deaths remained stubbornly high. “These usually go hand in hand,” he said.
“We have noted an increase in perinatal mortality and are working to close gaps in human resources, equipment, and referral networks.” The World Health Organization (WHO) commended Zimbabwe for its progress on maternal health but urged greater focus on newborn survival. ”
Zimbabwe is doing a great job in reducing maternal mortality, but neonatal mortality needs additional work,” said Najibullah Safi, WHO’s coordinator for Strategic Health, Policy and Planning in Zimbabwe. Faith-based hospitals, which deliver most rural health services are playing a central role in the response.
The Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals (ZACH) is establishing mothers’ waiting homes near mission hospitals to allow expectant women to be monitored before delivery. “These shelters ensure women are fit to deliver and that babies are better prepared,” said ZACH executive director Vuyelwa Sidile Chitimbire.
She added that the facilities also provide preventive care, including nutritional support and monitoring of conditions such as high blood pressure. However, Chitimbire warned that shortages of midwives, doctors, and funding threaten progress.
“Currently, we have serious shortages of health workers, especially in rural areas. We don’t have enough money to make sure our facilities are well equipped for delivery and neonatal care,” she said.
Beyond maternal and child health, the Harare meeting underscored the sector’s fragile financing. Dr. Maunganidze urged Treasury to increase allocations and speed up disbursements, warning that unpredictable funding is undermining essential programmes, including HIV, TB and malaria.
He also called for doubling the health workforce by 2030, stronger investment in availability of medicines, and expansion of digital health technologies. He urged Parliament to fast-track the long delayed National Health Insurance Bill to broaden domestic financing.
Cholera and other epidemic risks were highlighted as additional pressures, with calls for improved water, sanitation and vaccination infrastructure. Summarizing the sector’s progress and challenges, Maunganidze said the health of our people is a shared responsibility. We need all hands on the deck to bridge financing gaps and build a resilient health system.
New Ziana
