Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has told southern Africa that the region’s “future” in health financing lies in stronger domestic resource mobilisation, warning that health emergencies that go unmanaged quickly turn into economic crises.
Speaking at an extraordinary meeting of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers of Health in Harare that also brought together finance ministers, Ncube said health and economic prosperity are inseparable.
“One message has emerged very clearly from our discussions: health and economic prosperity go hand in hand,” he said.
“We cannot build strong economies without healthy populations, and we cannot sustain quality health systems without sound public finances.”
He pointed to the Ebola outbreak affecting parts of the region as a reminder that outbreaks do not remain confined to hospitals and clinics.
“The Ebola situation confronting parts of our region reminds us that health emergencies can quickly become economic emergencies,” Ncube said, adding that such crises disrupt trade, tourism, livelihoods and public finances.
He noted that investment in resilient health systems is, therefore, also an investment in economic stability and regional resilience.
Ncube said SADC countries are moving into a period where they cannot rely as heavily on external financing.
“We are in deep transition because the era of relying heavily on external financing has passed,” he said, warning that declining development assistance and mounting fiscal pressures mean the sustainability of health systems will increasingly depend on countries’ own resources.
He said the way forward requires finance and health ministries to work more closely together to ensure that mobilised funds translate into services.
“The future of health financing in our region lies in stronger domestic resource mobilisation, better management of public resources, and smarter investments that deliver greater value for our people,” Ncube said.
Ncube urged member states to pursue measures that expand revenue bases and free up fiscal space for health, including innovative financing.
He also stressed the importance of regional cooperation to reduce costs and improve preparedness, citing initiatives such as pooled procurement, stronger supply chains and coordinated disease surveillance.
JN/APA