*Government targets to train 7k health workers annually* https://thevoiceonlinenews.com/xzd9 ___________________________________ `June 15, 2025` ___________________________________ > *Follow The Voice Online News WhatsApp channel:* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaPRQqTHrDZdGRK5yH43 ___________________________________ > *Share The Voice Online News WhatsApp group link:* https://chat.whatsapp.com/DjU5F7Goh3M6M4XSkg81Gx ___________________________________ > *To advertise with The Voice Online News, talk to us here:* https://wa.me/message/PLR6ANGW2RX4I1 ___________________________________ GOVERNMENT is intensifying its efforts to achieve universal health coverage, aiming to increase service coverage from the current 55 to 80 percent by 2030. This was revealed by the deputy chairperson of the Health Services Commission, Dr Rugare Abigail Kangwende during a recent visit to Manicaland, during which she reaffirmed Government’s commitment of ensuring that every citizen has access to quality and affordable healthcare. “Universal health coverage entails that all citizens, regardless of their location, should have access to essential health services when needed, at a quality they deserve, and at an affordable cost. Our goal is to significantly increase universal health coverage,” said Dr Kangwende. Dr Kangwende emphasised the crucial role of the Health Workforce Compact in driving this transformation. It provides a framework for investments and collaborations to address healthcare workforce challenges, ultimately aiming to improve health outcomes. Its primary focus is on developing a resilient, motivated, and skilled health workforce to achieve universal health coverage, and enhance the overall health of the population. Dr Kangwende said the compact aims to accelerate the country’s aspiration of attaining a universal health coverage to at least 80 index points, and ensure the availability of a resilient, motivated, and fit-for-purpose health workforce. “The Health Workforce Compact is a pivotal intervention in achieving our mandate. This compact is an agreement between the Ministry of Health and Child Care and various other ministries and partners, aiming to reach the universal health coverage target of 80 percent by 2030,” she said. The HWC was signed by the different partners last year. The initiative stems from a comprehensive Health Labour Market Analysis conducted a few years ago, which revealed a severe shortage of health workers in the country. “The study assessed Zimbabwe’s disease burden, population needs, and workforce requirements to determine the necessary steps towards achieving Universal Health Coverage. Currently, Zimbabwe’s health coverage stands at approximately 55 percent, directly linked to the number of health workers available per 10 000 people,” she said. However, Dr Kangwende noted that the current workforce is less than half of what is required to meet the standard, and to bridge this gap, Government aims to double the number of health professionals by 2030 through intensified training and recruitment efforts. The plan involves scaling up training across all critical disciplines, including nursing, laboratory sciences, environmental health, pharmacy, and medicine. Currently, Zimbabwe produces about 2 500 health workers annually, but this figure needs to nearly triple to meet the target of 7 000. “To achieve this ambitious goal, we plan to significantly expand the training of health professionals, increasing annual output from 2 500 to 7 000 workers across various medical disciplines,” explained Dr Kangwende. By increasing training output in all fields, the country aims to raise its Universal Health Coverage. Beyond training, Government is addressing existing vacancies in the health sector, particularly in clinical roles. Many funded positions remain unfilled, further straining the system. The migration of skilled workers abroad and to the private sector has exacerbated shortages. To counter this, Dr Kangwende said Government is implementing measures to improve working conditions, including competitive salaries and non-monetary incentives. “We aim to retain health workers by meeting their needs, ensuring they are well-compensated, motivated, and supported, so they do not seek opportunities elsewhere. The Government is committed to progressively meet the wage demands of health workers by 2030. “Treasury has also signed onto the Health Workforce Compact, demonstrating a shared commitment among all partners,” said Dr Kangwende. Dr Kangwende highlighted job creation as a critical aspect of the strategy, with plans to establish 32 000 new posts to absorb the additional trained professionals. “This expansion will provide employment opportunities for graduates, while strengthening the nation’s healthcare delivery system. We are committed to creating these posts, enabling the health workers we train to effectively serve the people of Zimbabwe,” she said, while emphasising the importance of embracing technology to modernise health services. “Our vision is to establish a world-class health system that aligns with national aspirations to become an upper-middle-income country by 2030. Digitalisation will play a pivotal role in streamlining processes, such as e-recruitment and online interviews, making service delivery more efficient,” she said, adding that the scale-up plan will include all health workers, encompassing environmental health workers, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, nurses, and doctors. – _*ZimPapers*_