Zimbabwe calls for sustainable domestic financing to curb tuberculosis

HARARE, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean authorities on Wednesday called for sustainable domestic financing to fight against tuberculosis (TB) as external funding declined.

Owen Mugurungi, director of AIDS and TB programs in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, said at a conference in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare that the reduction in global donor funding posed a direct threat to the country's TB response, and the country needs to explore sustainable domestic financing to respond to the infectious disease.

"We can not build a resilient TB response on unpredictable and external funding alone," Mugurungi said, adding that the situation underscores the urgent need for sustainable financing and domestic investment.

He noted that Zimbabwe faces a high burden of TB/HIV co-infection and a persistent challenge of drug-resistant TB.

According to him, the ministry estimated that approximately 15,000 TB cases were missed last year, and the gap represents the single greatest challenge in the fight against the disease.

"Our national TB response is at a crossroads. We have the strategy, we have the evidence, and we have the dedicated workforce. What we need now is the collective will to convert our commitments into concrete action. We must find the missing cases, secure the necessary resources and embrace the innovations that will allow us to end TB in Zimbabwe," Mugurungi said.

Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwean Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora commended Zimbabwe for progress in the fight against the infectious disease.

"Our TB response has made real progress. But as we celebrate progress, we must also be honest about the road ahead. TB remains a serious public health challenge and the shifting landscape of global health financing is creating uncertainty for critical programs," he added. ■