EQUITY GAUGE PROFILES: ZIMBABWE

Name of Project: Enchancing public participation and accountability in health budget processes in Zimbabwe

Focus:
This Gauge incorporates equity dimensions into existing data collection systems and reporting, introduces a national data collection system, develops research capacity and disseminates findings among policymakers, researchers, NGO leaders and civil society.

Goal: To address both technically, and in terms of important social and political processes, the need for clearer articulation of equity demands in budget allocation processes both to and within health.

Partners

• Training and Research Support Centre
• Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Zimbabwe
• Ministry of Finance
• the parliamentary budget and health committees,
• local authority associations (Rural and Urban Council Associations),
• key health providers (eg: church hospitals (ZACH); and
• civic groups (the latter through the Community Working Group on Health)

Key People:

• Dr Rene Loewenson (Project leader, Director TARSC);
• Freckson Ropi (Programme Manager, TARSC);
• Dr Tom Zigora, (CEO of the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals)
  
  

Indicators under consideration:

• MOHCW expenditures as a share of the GDP; MOHCW expenditures:OPD utilization data by level of care and by province, that is,
  MOHCW expenditure data by levels of care, by category and by province:-
  Personnel and non-personnel MoHCW expenditure data by levels of care and by province:
  Distribution of hospital fees generated by level of care, by province.
  Distribution of Health Professionals by level of care and by province:
  Distribution of Health Facilities by level of care and by province:
  Distribution of transport services ((a) ambulatory, (b) motor bikes (c)convenience transport)) by level of care and by province:-
  Distribution of Public Health Problems by level of care and by province:-
  Distribution of communication net works (e.g. telephones, radio,etc) by level of care and by province:-
  Distribution of patient/health professionals’ ratio by profession, by level of care and by province:-
  Health problems by district and provincial levels
  Demographic Dynamics and Mortality: infant Mortality Rate; Life Expectancy at Birth; Maternal Mortality Rate; Nutritional Status; Child Nutrition; Low Birth Weight
  Disease, Mental Disorder and Disability Status
  General Disease pattern (rural-urban dichotomy, and provincial as well):
• Communicable Diseases:- HIV/AIDS ; S.T.Is; Tuberculosis; ARI; Malaria
• Non-Communicable Diseases and Conditions: Cardiovascular Diseases,Cancers, Injuries and Disabilities
• Technology and Equipment, distribution by:- Rural Hospitals/Rural Health Centers,District Hospitals, Provincial Hospitals, Central Hospitals
• Drugs:Availability of HIV/Aids related drugs (STI & TB) by level of care and by province;
  Average percentage of generic prescription by level of care and by province.
• Health Infrastructure:
  Number of rural hospitals/rural health centres by district and by province
  Population-rural health center ratio by district and by province
  Number of rural health facilities without:Electricity, Telephone/radio communications
  Patient-hospital bed ratio by level of care and by province
  

Documents:

• Parliamentary Functions and Reforms and their Application in Promoting Health Equity in southern Africa, Mike Mataure, Public Affairs And Parliamentary Support Trust. (Papst), August 2003 [ 160kb]

Data Sources:
MOHCW, Ministry of Finance, National Economic Planning Commission, and Missions and Councils.