The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
MANICALAND Province recorded the highest institutional maternal mortality rates in the country during the first half of 2022, a Government official has said.
Addressing journalists at an orientation and sensitisation meeting of health journalists on the Results Based Financing (RBF) in Kadoma this afternoon, Acting Deputy Director of Reproductive Health in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Mavin Venge said the province topped in Institutional Maternal Mortality Rate (IMMR), as it recorded 111 cases per 100 000 live births.
Institutional Maternity Mortality Rate is the number of maternal deaths among 100 000 deliveries in health facilities or institutions.
During the same timeframe, the province recorded a total of 25 331 deliveries at health facilities and 1 496 home deliveries.
It also recorded 28 maternal deaths at health institutions and five maternal deaths at home.
“Bulawayo and Harare provinces recorded no maternal deaths, whether at home or at facilities during that same timeframe. In terms of IMMR, Mashonaland West is slightly behind Manicaland with 98 deaths per 100 000 live births and then comes Masvingo which recorded 57 deaths,” said Dr Venge.
Giving the keynote address on behalf of the Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care, Air Commodoe Jasper Chimedza, Acting Chief Director Policy Planning and Monitoring Evaluation, Dr Steven Banda said RBF has been a success ever since Government’s inception of the programme in December 2020.
It will run until April 2023.
RBF programme ensures that 75 percent of the funds are ploughed back to health facility investments and 25 percent are used as health worker incentives meant to motivate the health workers.
He said the country recorded a significant improvement in coverage of maternal family and child health indicators due to the institutionalisation of the RBF programme.
“The Health Sector Development Support Project has contributed to the significant progress over the past decade as witnessed by the success of the RBF programme in Zimbabwe.
“Based on successful implementation and positive results, Government decided to institutionalise RBF in the health sector. This project has been made possible through support from our long-term friends, the World Bank and the Global Financing Facility who pledged US$25 million with Government committing US$24,6 million towards increasing coverage and quality of an integrated package of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH-N) and strengthening the nation’s COVID-19 response,” he said.
He said to demonstrate Government’s commitment, treasury is financing RBF subsidies for 18 rural districts, including Chipinge and Mutare.
Government’s implementing partner, Cordaid’s team leader, Dr Endris Seid said RSF supports the National Health Strategy and Policy which ensures equity in access to health services.
“RSF seeks to remove the financial burden while ensuring that there is no user fees for patients, rebuilding the quality of care standards, strengthening the referral system and decentralizing service delivery and revitalisation of primary health care,” he said.
The RSF programme is there to compliment the already existing efforts by the Government and other donors to strengthen reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, adolescent health and nutrition services as well as strengthening Covid-19 response.
