10/06/2025
The Health Service Commission (HSC), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and key stakeholders from universities, colleges, regulatory bodies, training institutions and Compact partners, has embarked on a bold initiative to develop a Comprehensive Health Workforce Training and Development Policy for Zimbabwe.
The national consultative workshop seeks to design a policy framework that will guide the coordinated production, training, deployment, and retention of healthcare workers, a critical move to meet the demands of the country’s growing population and the national vision to become an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
Speaking at the official opening of the workshop, Health Service Commission Commissioner Dr Edward Makondo underscored the significance of this initiative.
"This is a nation-building endeavor, not merely another policy procedure. Any effective health system is built on a foundation of a well-trained and supported health workforce. According to Dr. Makondo, this policy will establish the prerequisites for the industry's continued expansion and excellence.
The Comprehensive Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) in 2022 revealed serious supply-side issues in the production of health workers, which resulted in a halt or reversal in training patterns across important professional categories. These findings underscore the need for this policy.
The HLMA findings were a wake-up call, there are gaps in how we train, deploy, and retain health professionals. This policy will close those gaps in a coordinated and sustainable way, “said Dr Makondo.
Speaking on behalf of the Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr. Aspect Maunganidze, Dr. Tsitsi Mildred Magure, Chief Medical Officer of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, reinforced the Ministry’s commitment to a collaborative policy development process.
“According to the Human Resources for Health Policy, the Government of Zimbabwe is committed to producing, training, and developing adequate human resources for health, by both quantity and skill mix based on the population’s health needs,” said Dr. Magure.
She emphasized that the Health Workforce Training and Development Policy will not only support implementation of the National Health Strategy and the Health Workforce Strategy 2023–2030, but also bring long-needed clarity to the training landscape.
You will concur that there have been instances in which it was unclear who received training, when, and under what circumstances. This strategy will clarify roles, bring all stakeholders into line with national goals, and improve our ability to track and assess our training initiatives," she said.
Dr. Magure also applauded the Health Service Commission for establishing the bonding framework, which is anticipated to improve post-training deployment and guarantee that public training expenditures result in observable improvements in service delivery.
The workshop highlights several core functions of the forthcoming policy, including addressing misalignments in deployment (e.g., internship placement for doctors), establishing evidence-based, equity-focused, and quality-oriented training standards, enhancing workforce planning, curriculum development, and capacity-building across all levels.
“Zimbabwe is renowned for turning out top-notch medical graduates. We have to jealously protect this reputation. We cannot overlook issues such as lack of training space, equipment, and tutors, even in the face of pressure to boost intakes,” Dr. Mugure stated.
“I’m pleased the Health Service Commission is building partnerships to improve management-level training,” she said.
Dr. Makondo emphasized the importance of developing a robust implementation plan and monitoring framework to ensure that the policy does not remain a document on paper but drives tangible results.
It is anticipated that stakeholders will contribute to the final draft of the Health Workforce Training and Development policy framework, which will open the door for validation, resource mobilization, and nationwide deployment.
