Venus Charumbira
Environment and Health Reporter
Zimbabwe has concluded its second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of national health security in early July, marking a significant step in strengthening the country’s preparedness for public health emergencies.
The assessment, funded by the Health Resilience Fund (HRF) through the World Health Organization (WHO), received additional support from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and UNICEF.
A JEE is a voluntary, collaborative, and multisectoral process designed to evaluate a country’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health risks, whether natural, accidental, or deliberate.
“The JEE provides us with a structured opportunity to assess our readiness to detect and respond to public health threats. We are grateful to all partners who made this possible,” said Dr. Wenceslaus Nyamayaro, Acting Chief Director of Public Health in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
According to a WHO Africa regional office press release, over 100 participants from health, environment, veterinary services, defense, and civil society engaged in the self-assessment phase.
The JEE helps countries identify critical gaps in human and animal health systems, allowing them to prioritize improvements in preparedness and response. Key areas requiring urgent attention include outdated equipment and limited support resources.
Gender equity in emergencies was also highlighted as a concern, with significant gaps in funding for gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response.
This initiative enables nations to evaluate their ability to prevent, detect, and swiftly address public health risks while fostering intersectoral cooperation for International Health Regulations (IHR) implementation.
The next phase will involve an external validation mission scheduled for 6–13 September, where international experts will review documentation and inspect key health facilities, the WHO noted.
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