ZIMBABWE / HEALTH TRANSITION FUND

Over the last decade Zimbabwe has seen a decline in its health care services, resulting in a dramatic increase in child and maternal mortality. Every day at least eight women die due to pregnancy-related complications, most of them in rural areas with only limited access to basic health care services. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:58
• Production Date: 12 November 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: HEALTH; HEALTH SERVICES; DISEASE PREVENTION; DISEASE CONTROL
• Geographic Subject: ZIMBABWE
• MAMS Id: U111112a

Description

STORY: ZIMBABWE / HEALTH TRANSITION FUND
TRT: 2:58
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 1 NOVEMBER 2011, MARONDERA, ZIMBABWE

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, pregnant woman walking down street
2. Med shot, women walking down the street
3. Med shot, two women on hospital bed
4. Med shot, woman nursing baby
5. Med shot, women in wait area
6. Med shot, women in waiting room
7. Med shot, nurse with woman in waiting room
8. Med shot, child
9. Close up, woman on hospital bed
10. Close up, hospital sign
11. Med shot, woman in hospital bed with husband and other woman at her bedside
12. Med shot, woman on hospital bed
13. Med shot, woman in hospital bed with husband and other woman at her bedside
14. Close up, woman on hospital bed
15. Med shot, woman on hospital bed
16. Med shot, nurse with woman patient
17. Wide shot, participants at event
18. Med shot, ‘Health Transition Fund’ Banner
19. Med shot, women dancing
20. Med shot, women dancing
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Peter Salma, UNICEF Representative, Zimbabwe:
“In keeping with global best practice the Health Transition Fund will now integrate the critical major programs of maternal child care, HIV and nutrition.”
22. Med shot, woman with child at hospital
23. Med shot, newborn baby
24. Med shot, pregnant woman
25. SOUNDBITE (English), Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe:
“Long back in the 1950’s in my own rural home in Buera (inaudible) I remember my mother carrying me on a bicycle all the way 50 kilometres to go to hospital to access medical care. 50 years later women in Zimbabwe cannot be seen walking similar distances to access basic health care.”
26. Close up, box with medicine
27. Close up, box with medicine
28. Med shot, cart with medicine
29. Close up, medicine
30. Close up, hospital sign
31. Med shot, nurses walking through hospital
32. Med shot, nurses at hospital beds
33. Close up, baby
34. Med shot, nurses in hospital
35. Med shot, nurse giving baby a shot
36. Close up, mother changing her child’s diaper

Storyline

Over the last decade Zimbabwe has seen a decline in its health care services, resulting in a dramatic increase in child and maternal mortality. Every day at least eight women die due to pregnancy-related complications, most of them in rural areas with only limited access to basic health care services.

In a country that calls for free care for pregnant women and children under five, lack of sufficient funding has forced many institutions to charge for basic services.

Thirty-year-old Tendai Mudadi knows this all too well. She had to be transferred from her local hospital to Marondera Provincial Hospital, where she and her husband welcomed a healthy baby into the world. Now however they are worried about not being able to pay the hospital bills—just paying for transportation to the hospital was a financial stretch.

Many women end up delivering outside of basic health facilities altogether, leaving them at a higher risk of death in the absence of skilled birth attendance.

To combat this alarming trend, the Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe, in partnership with the international donor community and UNICEF took an unprecendented step and launched the Health Transition Fund. The fund seeks to revitalize the health care system and reverse the alarmingly high maternal and child mortality rates.

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Peter Salama, UNICEF Representative, Zimbabwe:
“In keeping with global best practice the Health Transition Fund will now integrate the critical major programs of maternal child care, HIV and nutrition.”

The Fund is the first major national programme in the health sector to integrate maternal and child survival programmes and signals progress for the country’s health care system overall.

SOUNDBITE (English) Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister, Zimbabwe:
“Long back in the 1950’s in my own rural home in Buera (inaudible) I remember my mother carrying me on a bicycle all the way 50 kilometres to go to hospital to access medical care. 50 years later women in Zimbabwe cannot be seen walking similar distances to access basic health care.”

The Health Transition Fund will also fund medicines, equipment, personnel and assist in the development of health policy and planning. The establishment of the Fund is a big step on the road to ensuring that all Zimbabweans have access to basic health care services and are able to bring their children into the world in a safe and healthy environment.