The Ministry of Health and Child Care is grappling with a severe skills drain that is exacerbating Zimbabwe’s already alarming maternal and infant mortality rates. A staggering 299 babies and 54 mothers died in January 2025 alone, highlighting the critical state of the nation’s healthcare system.
According to Deputy Health Minister Sleiman Kwidini, the mass exodus of medical professionals seeking better working conditions and remuneration abroad has significantly worsened the country’s healthcare delivery.
Kwidini reported that in January 2025, complications during childbirth resulted in the deaths of 299 infants and 54 women.
“The maternal deaths as of January 2025 are currently at 54. Looking back at 2024, in Harare Province alone, we recorded 19 maternal deaths and 111 neonatal deaths,” Kwidini stated.
“The leading causes of death were hypertensive disorders and their complications, including renal failure. Other causes included postpartum hemorrhage following abortions, normal deliveries, and cesarean sections. Sepsis was also a contributing factor. Some women had underlying HIV and diabetes mellitus. Other causes included dilated cardiomyopathy,” Kwidini added.
Kwidini attributed the brain drain within the health ministry as a major factor, particularly affecting childbirth in rural areas.
“It is true that we are facing challenges in rural areas, especially due to the loss of skilled personnel and the poor road networks that hinder timely access to medical attention for pregnant women,” he explained.
“However, as a ministry, we are taking action. We are implementing a comprehensive retraining program because we recognize that many of our trained midwives have migrated in search of better opportunities, placing a significant burden on our system. We have reintroduced a large-scale retraining of midwives to serve those in rural areas.
“We are also upgrading primary care nurses in rural areas to equip them with midwifery skills, enabling them to provide the services previously delivered by departed midwives. Furthermore, we have deployed mobile scanning machines to facilitate early prenatal scans, which are crucial for detecting complications and reducing maternal and neonatal deaths,” Kwidini continued.
This crisis occurs as major donors in the health sector, USAID and UKAID, are withdrawing their aid.
