Health Insurance in Zimbabwe

The public healthcare system in Zimbabwe is administered by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC). It is available to both the local population and foreign nationals, and often requires patients to pay out-of-pocket for medical treatment.

While steps are being taken by the government to improve accessibility to medical care and the country’s healthcare infrastructure, the public system suffers from a lack of funding, trained medical staff and supplies.

Health insurance for expats in Zimbabwe

The health insurance system in Zimbabwe

Healthcare in Zimbabwe receives both public and private funding, including from non-profit organisations, international donors, and taxes.

The state healthcare system is divided into four different levels, which consists of the following:

• Primary care: provided at healthcare centres and clinics, this functions as the first point of care for patients with services such as GP visits, maternity care and vaccinations.

• Secondary care: offered at district hospitals across the country, secondary care is more specialised and used to treat complex cases. These medical facilities also support the primary care providers with outreach services.

• Tertiary care: this type of care is highly specialised, and hospitals that supply this are found in the main cities of Bulawayo and Harare.

• Quaternary: the most highly advanced type of care in Zimbabwe but is delivered on a limited scale in the larger cities, quaternary care is usually for rare and experimental medical treatments.

To improve access to healthcare for the population, the Zimbabwean government has introduced the National Health Strategy (NHS) 2021-2025. Eleven key priorities have been identified for this strategy, including strengthening the medical workforce and developing the country’s health infrastructure.

As part of this, the government is planning to establish a National Health Insurance Scheme, which aims to provide access to basic healthcare services and reduce the amount people needing to pay out-of-pocket expenses, which is currently very high.

How to choose health insurance in Zimbabwe: local or international?

Due to the problems facing the public health system in Zimbabwe, you could consider additional health insurance cover to protect your healthcare needs when living abroad.

With a local health insurance plan, you can receive private medical treatment promptly, helping avoid long waiting time for treatments as well as to gain access to more modern medical equipment. This is usually cheaper than international health insurance, but is limited to medical treatment within the chosen country.

Whereas global medical insurance provides you with greater flexibility and a wider range of cover. For example, members can be covered across multiple countries in their cover area, particularly useful if you go abroad frequently, and want to receive quality medical treatment during your travels.