Source: New ARV consignment to last until September | The Sunday Mail
Lincoln Towindo
ZIMBABWE has secured an additional three-month’s supply of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs that will ensure current stock levels will last until the end of September, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has said.
Addressing lawmakers during Thursday’s question-and-answer session in Senate, Dr Mombeshora said the new consignment, acquired a fortnight ago, will build on an earlier six-month stock bought at the beginning of the year.
The development comes amid concerns over potential shortages of the vital medication following cuts to foreign aid for health programmes by the United States government.
The Government, Dr Mombeshora said, marshalled domestic resources, including the National AIDS Trust Fund, to procure the latest consignment.
“Let me start by saying that we buy a six-month’s supply,” he said.
“For the first six months up to June, we have enough supply of medicines and enough supply of tablets.
“Last week, after buying the second batch, we will cover another three months from the end of June to the end of September.
“We are using money raised locally.
“We have the National AIDS Trust Fund, which receives contributions from every employed person, coming from taxes . . . the AIDS levy that is taxed.
“So, I instructed the responsible department not to buy anything else but to prioritise ARVs, TB and malaria medication so that we have enough medication here in Zimbabwe.”
He urged people living with HIV to continue taking their medication as prescribed by doctors, dismissing fears of stockouts.
“We understand that there were a lot of people who are panicking, some who were skipping taking their medication thinking that there would be a shortage but let me assure you that we have enough ARVs,” he added.
Treasury, he said, is being engaged to secure additional funding for future supplies.
“We believe that we are going to get more money for that so that we have enough medication,” Dr Mombeshora said.
“HIV/AIDS is quite a priority, and we know that.
“We will not have a shortage of medication.
“If there are people who are taking medication, may they continue taking that medication religiously, as prescribed by the doctors.”
Contributing to the debate, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said Zimbabwe should not agonise over the withdrawal of US funding for HIV/AIDS programmes but instead focus on finding local solutions.
“Every country has the sovereign right to decide how it allocates aid, and Zimbabwe must respect those decisions,” he said.
“Just as Zimbabwe can choose to support another country and later withdraw that aid, so, too, can others. We cannot complain when they exercise that right.”
Prof Murwira stressed that Zimbabwe has the legislative authority, through Parliament, to fund its own health programmes.
“That is why we must focus on our own budgeting and domestic resource mobilisation.
“As the Minister of Health has said, we do have ARVs available in the country,” he added.
Health funding
Zimbabwe’s health sector is funded through a mix of domestic revenue sources and external donor support.
Over the years, the Government has adopted several innovative financing mechanisms to boost domestic health funding in the face of economic challenges and progressively declining aid.
One of the most prominent domestic funding tools is the AIDS levy, introduced in 1999.
This levy is a 3 percent tax on the income of individuals and companies and is channelled into the National AIDS Trust Fund, which is administered by the National Aids Council (NAC).
The levy is used to finance Zimbabwe’s HIV and AIDS response, especially the procurement of antiretroviral drugs, care and support for people living with HIV and public awareness campaigns.
As external funding, such as the United States’ PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) support, has been scaled back in recent years, the AIDS levy has become increasingly important in bridging the funding gap.
In 2017, the Government introduced a health levy on mobile airtime and data.
This is a 5 percent surcharge imposed on all mobile telecommunication services.
The funds collected from this levy are ring-fenced for the procurement of medicines and other health-related expenses.
It is administered by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and remitted to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
This innovative financing model is designed to broaden the health financing base by tapping into Zimbabwe’s high mobile phone usage.
The Government has also adopted a sugar tax that applies to beverages containing a set amount of processed sugar per 100 millilitres.
The primary aim of this tax is to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks as a measure to combat non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, which have been on the rise in Zimbabwe.
In addition, the tax also serves as a source of revenue for the procurement of high-tech equipment used to diagnose, treat and manage non-communicable diseases.
Under President Donald Trump, Washington has slashed funding for critical global HIV/AIDS programmes, jeopardising decades of progress in the fight against the epidemic.
The cuts — part of a broader reduction in US global health assistance — have hit hard some developing countries.
PEPFAR, a landmark US initiative credited with saving millions of lives since 2003, has seen drastic budget reductions under the current Trump administration.
Data shows that funding for PEPFAR in key African nations, including Zimbabwe, has been cut by as much as 30 percent, forcing abrupt scaling back of treatment programmes.
The cuts have drawn sharp criticism from health experts, with UNAIDS warning that global HIV targets for 2030 are now at risk.
Presently, Zimbabwe has 1,2 million people on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
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