Zimbabwe undertakes second Joint External Evaluation to strengthen National Health Security

 

From 29 June to 4 July 2025, Zimbabwe conducted its second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) to assess the country’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats under the International Health Regulations (2005). The JEE, coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) with support from WHO and partners, marks a critical milestone in strengthening Zimbabwe’s public health emergency preparedness and response systems.

The JEE is a voluntary, collaborative process used globally to assess a country’s readiness to manage infectious disease outbreaks and other health emergencies. It is conducted every five years, with the country’s first evaluation completed in 2018.

“The JEE gives us a structured opportunity to check how ready we are to detect and respond to public health threats and we thank all the partners who have made this possible,” said Dr Wenceslaus Nyamayaro, MoHCC Acting Chief Director, Public Health. 

The internal self-assessment, the first phase of the JEE, was completed in July 2025 with over 100 participants from across sectors including health, environment, veterinary services, defense, disaster management, civil society, and development partners including WHO, UNICEF, FAO, Africa CDC and others. This participatory process assessed 19 technical areas ranging from biosafety and surveillance to legislation and points of entry.

Key areas that emerged as requiring urgent attention include outdated or poorly implemented legal instruments, coupled with limited availability of legal support at subnational levels. Gender equity in emergencies remains a concern, with notable gaps in funding for gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response, as well as low representation of women in emergency preparedness and decision-making processes. Funding for emergency response activities was also highlighted as inadequate.  Surveillance systems for foodborne illnesses and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are still fragmented, highlighting the need for stronger cross-sector coordination. Coordination between the human, animal and environmental health sectors is still weak, showing the need to improve how these groups work together. Biosafety and biosecurity capacities also require strengthening, particularly in terms of laboratory infrastructure and staff training. Additionally, readiness at points of entry remains limited, with gaps in the ability to detect and respond to public health threats at borders and airports.

Zimbabwe also assessed its progress in tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global threat. While the country has developed a robust One Health AMR National Action Plan and established 14 multisectoral surveillance sites, challenges remain in laboratory capacity, integration of data systems and containment of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs).

The next phase of the JEE will involve an external validation mission scheduled for 6–13 September 2025. A team of international subject matter experts, coordinated by WHO’s Regional Office for Africa, will work with technical teams in Zimbabwe to validate scores, review documentation and conduct site visits to key health facilities including laboratories and points of entry. Following the mission, Zimbabwe will develop or update its National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS). This plan will consolidate findings from the JEE, past outbreak reviews, and risk assessments to guide future investments and reforms in public health preparedness.

“The evaluation is about continuous improvement. It reflects Zimbabwe’s commitment to protect the health of its people through stronger systems, better data, and broader collaboration,” said Dr. Desta Tiruneh, WHO Representative to Zimbabwe.

The evaluation was made possible with funding from the Health Resilience Fund (HRF) through WHO, with additional support mobilized by MoHCC from Africa CDC and UNICEF. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.