Even the most hardworking farmer may not have a good harvest if they are unwell and can’t get proper treatment. Strong health services in rural areas help farmers stay healthy and ready for every farming season.
Sharleen Mohammed
When clinics in rural areas are well-stocked with medicine and equipment, farmers are more likely to stay healthy and when farmers are healthy, they don’t miss important farming seasons like ploughing, planting, or harvesting.
This was the message shared by Dr. Aspect Maunganidze, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, at a meeting held in Harare to talk about how Zimbabwe can improve the supply of health products like medicines and medical equipment.
in his presentation, he said: “We are gathered for this critical dialogue on Health Products Supply Chain Management an issue that lies at the heart of a resilient and functional health system,” he said.
Strong supply chains the systems that make sure medicines and other items reach hospitals and clinics on time are especially important in rural and hard-to-reach areas. If a farmer falls sick and the nearest clinic has no medicine, that farmer may miss a whole season. Even the most hardworking farmer cannot produce much with poor health.
“Challenges affecting NatPharm whether in procurement, distribution, or inventory management have a direct impact on patients, staff, and the overall performance of our health system,” Dr. Maunganidze said.
Farmers are part of those communities affected. Without good health, they cannot work their land, care for their livestock, or feed their families. So a working health supply chain also supports agriculture, especially in rural Zimbabwe.
Dr. Maunganidze asked health officials to improve how they manage supplies, use technology to track medicines, and make sure funds are well used. These steps can help clinics avoid shortages and wastage.
He also mentioned the need for a revolving fund, a system where money used to buy supplies is returned and reused to keep the supply flowing.
This dialogue is not just another meeting it is a platform for problem-solving, knowledge-sharing, and partnership-building,” he said.
At the end of the day, strong health services support strong farming. Keeping farmers healthy means they can focus on growing food for the country without worrying about getting help when they fall sick.
