Zimbabwe Receives New US$15 Million Health Grant
Minister of Health and Child Care, Douglas Mombeshora, asserts that the results-based finance (RBF) model, with a specific focus on maternal and neonatal healthcare, has achieved remarkable success.
RBF involves a mechanism where funders make payments to agents responsible for achieving specific, predefined results. These results are verified independently, and funding is released upon successful achievement.
RBF aims to improve development outcomes by creating accountability and incentivizing cost-effectiveness. It ensures that development funding is tied to verified results.
During the conclusion of the Health Sector Development Support Project in Harare, Mombeshora highlighted that the program successfully reduced maternal deaths and addressed related challenges. He said (via NewsDay):
Another notable innovation was the quality-focused RBF initiative implemented in selected central and provincial hospitals which has contributed to improved quality of maternal and neonatal services as evidenced by improvement in clinical quality indicators, and improved availability of medicines and sundries resulting in a reduction of the time it takes to conduct Caesarean sections after a decision is made and increased staff motivation and teamwork which is partly attributable to staff incentives that are given.
The Results-Based Financing (RBF), introduced in 2011 through collaboration between the government and the World Bank, aimed to bolster the Health and Child Care Ministry’s efforts in enhancing the availability, accessibility, and utilization of high-quality healthcare services, specifically targeting maternal, newborn, and child health. Said Mombeshora:
The close-out of the Health Sector Development Support Project does not mark the end of our efforts, but rather the beginning of a new chapter.
While the gains made thus far are commendable, there is a need to keep the momentum.
The close-out marked the commencement of a renewed relationship through a new US$15 million essential health services grant.
The grant seeks to strengthen the health sector by capacitating about 25 secondary care facilities countrywide.
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