11/06/2026
Sovereign Debt is a Public Health Crisis in Zimbabwe
Every dollar spent servicing unsustainable external debt is a dollar stolen from a local clinic, a maternity ward, or a child’s vaccine program. Zimbabwe's deep sovereign debt crisis is directly crippling the delivery of basic health services across the country.
When public health funding shrinks due to debt burdens, it is the ordinary people who pay the ultimate price. Pregnant women face unfurnished waiting shelters, rural communities walk miles to dysfunctional clinics, and families are forced to pay out-of-pocket for basic care.
We urge international creditors and global leaders to consider comprehensive debt cancellation or relief for Zimbabwe. Redirecting these funds into domestic health resource mobilization is the only way to safeguard the lives of vulnerable populations.
ZimHealth