ZIMBABWE HEALTH CLUSTER MEETING
Harare, Zimbabwe
Date:
08 October 2013
Chair: Dr L Charimari – Health Cluster Coordinator ai
Agenda Item
Welcome and
Introductions
Welcome
Remarks
Minutes
Matters
Arising
Venue: WHO Annex Boardroom, Parirenyatwa Hospital Grounds
Time: 2.30 p.m.
Discussion
1. The Chair welcomed all to the Meeting.
2. Self introductions round the table were done.
1. The HCT accepted the recommendation of the cluster to have the MoHCC take over coordination of
humanitarian actors once the remaining clusters deactivate at the end of 2013. Discussions on how the
MoHCC will do this are on-going but the Epidemiology and Disease Control Department will assume
initial chairpersonship of the reactivated Inter Agency Coordinating Committee on Health (IACCH)
2. There is Training of Trainers for the planned MDA campaign for bilharzia and intestinal worms that is
taking place in Kadoma this week. After the TOT further training and sensitisation of district health and
education staff will take place. The second MDA campaign is scheduled for 28 October to 2 November
2013
3. There will be a presentation today by Plan International on the work they are doing at community level on
Maternal and Child Health in Manicaland
and
Corrections:
1. Page 4 item 6 under points noted should read OCHA instead of OHA
Matters Arising:
1. Under EPI Update item 9, last bullet. It was confirmed that Rotavirus would actually be available by year
end but roll out would be in 2014.
EPI Update
1. Highlights for Week 39 (ending 29 September) of 2013:
 3 diarrhoea deaths.
 1 malaria death.
 3 dysentery deaths.
 5 typhoid cases.
 5 anthrax cases.
2. Completeness and Timeliness
 This was 93% for both parameters in week 39 compared with 81% completeness and 69% timeliness in
week 38
1
Follow up Actions
Agenda Item
Discussion
3. Common Diarrhoea
 14,690 cases and 3 deaths
 7,672 (52.2%) cases and no deaths in under 5s
4. Typhoid
 5 new cases from Chegutu
 New outbreak?
 Cumulative cases for 2013 – 1,422
5. Influenza
 10,905 cases reported in week 39 against 7,740 cases in week 38.
 Mash East and Manicaland focus?
 Diagnosis and case management?
 CDC has offered assistance to assist with lab diagnosis
6. Other Highlights
 Malaria – 2,974 cases and 1 death. Major preparations for 2013-14 season underway
 Anthrax – 5 new cases in Buhera district
 Maternal deaths – no cases in week 39
Field
and
EHA Updates
2
7. Points Noted
 There was need to offer support to the UZ Virology Lab and the NMRL in their work on influenza
diagnosis
 The Health Cluster lead need to regularly share the Epi Updates with partners once these are received
from MoHCC
 What are the interventions on diarrhoea that partners have in place? There is need for community
interventions and continued advocacy at high levels to address the diarrhoea problem
 It was reported that Chitungwiza has erratic water supplies
 The introduction of maternal death surveillance and response was a good move in the continued drive
against maternal mortality

1. EHA
 Goal and IRC humanitarian funding came to a close in August
 Save the Children still has some funding up to December 2013
 EHA were planning to hold a symposium in mid-November 2013 to showcase their work and successes,
highlight lessons learnt and attract funding
Follow up Actions
Agenda Item
Presentation
by Plan
International
on the MNCH
CIDA funded
Project in
Manicaland.
OCHA Update
Discussion
2. World Vision International
 Have gone into a joint NTD project with the MoHCC in which they will give significant support in the
mapping of Lymphatic Filariasis in Zimbabwe. The project documents were finalised end of September
and they are now awaiting the funds from USAID/RTI. The plan is to complete the mapping by January
2014.
 WVI also have USAID/AusAid support for MNCH in 4 districts of Mat South and Bulawayo.
3. MCHIP
 Concerned about high levels of maternal mortality. MCHIP are currently in the middle of their project
evaluation and expect a renewal of the project.
 Presentation made by Victoria Ndlovu, the Health Advisor for Plan International on MNCH CIDA funded
project. Presentation circulated separately.
 The project thrust is based on using community health workers.
 It was noted that Manicaland had poor MNCH indicators especially high maternal mortality and lower
EPI coverage rates; the latest VHMAS report also shows the province being the least performer in
terms of availability of oxytocin, magnesium sulphate and blood.
 In addition to building capacity of community health workers it was important to also improve capacity
of health institutions in MNCH
 With WVI moving to Manicaland soon, it was noted that the province had many partners but their
coordination needed to be strengthened.
 OCHA advised that the health cluster might want to note WASH experiences in provincial
coordination
 It was agreed that the PMD needed to provide leadership in coordination. However Manicaland had
high profile challenges that needed to be addressed at high political levels
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MYR documents were submitted to the CAP Section in Geneva and will be published this week.
The total “appeal” for 2013 would increase by 12% from $130 million to $146 million
The HCT made a decision to deactivate the health, WASH, food and protection clusters but there was need
for flexibility in the process
There would be no humanitarian appeal in 2014
HCT will continue to meet as usual up to December 2013 and then on an ad hoc basis up to June 2014.
OCHA will start to scale down at the end of 2013 and will probably close in December 2014 but still maintain
a presence in RC’s office in 2015
The ERF timeline was extended to March 2014
Can cluster programmes be integrated into ZUNDAF?
Both health and WASH clusters:
o The country continues to be at risk for water borne diseases
o Is it possible to mobilize sufficient resources for health and WASH programming after the clusters
Follow up Actions



Health Cluster
to consider
organizing a
tour of
Manicaland
WHO to
continue to
advocate with
the MoHCC on
the need to
address
challenges in
Manicaland.
Cluster
coordinators
will input into
the ZUNDAF
end of year
review process
with a view to
integrating
programmes
into
development
programming.
Agenda Item
Discussion
o
Any Other
Business

Follow up Actions
deactivate?
The clusters need to carry out an analysis of potential hotspots between now and March 2014
None
Distribution:
4
All Health Cluster members
List of participants – Health Cluster Meeting – 08 October2013
NAME
ORGANISATION
EMAIL ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
Dr Lincoln Charimari
WHO
charimaril@who.int
0772277893
Victoria Ndlovu
Plan International
victoria.ndlovu@plan-international.org
0772403008
3
Shelly Chitsungo
UNICEF
schitsungo@unicef.org
0772776509
4
Simbisai Ngavi
Save the Children
simbisayi.ngavi@savethechildren.org
0773063190
5
Khesiwe Ncube
World Vision
shesiwe-ncube@wvi.org
0712029558
6
Linile Malunga
Save the Children
luvile.malunga@savethechildren.org
0772124140
7
Regis Magauzi
PMI/USAID
rmagauziy@usaid.gov
0772134104
8
Hannah Mafunda
United Methodist Church
shannahmafunda@yahoo.com
0774186750
9
Florence Chirisah
MSF - H
zimbabwe-medco-assist@oca,msf.org
0712440146
10
Jahob Arhem
MSF-H
zimbabwe-medco@oca,msf.org
0773217146
11
Vimbai Chishanu
GOAL
vchishanu@zw.goal.ie
0737293290
12
Benoit Pylyser
OCHA
pylyser@un.org
0772125282
13
Fransiska Kraemer
Johanniter International Assistance
fransiska.kraemer@thejohanniter.org
0773100427
14
Rose Kambarami
MCHIP
rose@mchipzim.org
0772140957
15
Karen Mhlanga
DRI/UNDP
keisharymhlanga@gmail.com
0776266496
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