COVID-19 Resource Tracker

COVID-19 Funds
ZIMCODD notes with concern the dire state of hospitals in the country, with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus once again exposing how underprepared and under-resourced the country’s public health institutions are. According to reports, health officials have expressed fears that a possible spike in new COVID-19 cases following an outbreak of the Omicron variant could trigger a shortage of hospital beds as the country’s health institutions have inadequate intensive care unit (ICU) facilities. Oxygen and oxygen canisters are other essential needs that are said to be in short supply.
Despite government promises that the country’s battered healthcare system is on the mend, there is little evidence on the ground to suggest that Zimbabwe is better prepared to deal with the pandemic should infections increase exponentially especially during the normally busy festive season. It is important therefore for the government in the 2022 budget to prioritize strengthening and improving the healthcare system.
As Zimbabwe prepares to battle the Omicron variant, two of the biggest hospitals serving the country’s second largest city, Bulawayo, are said to be incapacitated by staff shortages. It has been revealed that 170 doctors and nurses at Mpilo Central Hospital and the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) are in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, a development that is likely to cripple health care service delivery at Bulawayo’s two major referral hospitals. Of concern however, is that the manpower shortages at the institutions cannot be attributed to COVID-19 alone, as there has been continuous exodus of health workers from these and other institutions around the country.
While Covid-19 has exacerbated the situation, the Government needs to do more to stem the tide, particularly by channelling COVID-19 funds towards improving the renumeration and working conditions of healthcare workers.

Vaccines
While the number of new cases is on the rise with an average of 4000 cases recorded daily, vaccine uptake remains low against a target of 60% herd immunity by 31 December 2021. While other countries are gearing up for booster shots amid reports of rising COVID-19 cases due to the new variant, it is concerning that in Zimbabwe many people have not returned for their 2nd dose while a significant number have not been vaccinated at all. As at 13 December 2021, 3 966 929 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 against a 15 million population.
ZIMCODD calls for effective health communication and intensive community education and engagement to convey accurate information and facilitate informed and voluntary optimal vaccine uptake.
It is important that the government continues to prioritize funding for and access to vaccines for its citizens, including prioritization of vaccine storage facilities.
The government should scale up its vaccination campaign to ensure that herd immunity is attained soon as the current vaccines are expected to offer protection against severe infections and deaths.

Procurement
Zimbabwe is considered as one of the countries running a successful vaccination campaign in the African continent. The post-cabinet brief this Tuesday announced the availability of adequate stocks of vaccines to vaccinate all citizens following the receipt of 2.5 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China during the week and fulfilment of the Indian Embassy pledge to deliver a donation of 40000 doses of covaxin which will arrive in the country on 16 December. On vaccine procurement, it is commendable that the Minister of Finance revealed that the government has spent about US$204 million to purchase 17 million vaccines and syringes to date however, it the granular breakdown of the procurements remain opaque.
Despite efforts by the government to promote vaccine transparency, there are still grey areas that undermines accountability. To this end, the government should publish vaccine purchasing matrices that shows how the government arrived at a certain vaccine type over the other.
All vaccine procurement processes should go through the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, so that the executive’s influences should be limited in public procurement.