Parliament is set to debate a motion calling for stronger national action to tackle diabetes, including a proposal to ring-fence revenue from Zimbabwe’s sugar tax to improve prevention, treatment and long-term care.
The motion, sponsored by Concilia Chinanzvavana, comes as diabetes continues to place a growing burden on Zimbabwe’s health system. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4.6% of Zimbabwean adults aged 18–69 years are living with diabetes, while the disease and elevated blood glucose contribute to thousands of deaths annually, underscoring the need for stronger prevention and treatment efforts.
In motivating the motion, Chinanzvavana said that although Zimbabwe has adopted policies on non-communicable diseases and introduced a sugar tax, diabetes remains “under-prioritised in terms of funding, parliamentary oversight and coordinated implementation.”
The motion notes that people living with Type 1 diabetes require uninterrupted access to insulin, essential diagnostic services and specialised healthcare, and calls for greater political commitment to improve diabetes care nationwide.
Among the proposals before Parliament is a call to “champion equitable diabetes care, strengthen oversight of diabetes-related budgets and advocate for sustainable financing, including the strategic ring-fencing of existing fiscal instruments such as the sugar tax.”
The motion also seeks the integration of diabetes prevention and treatment into primary healthcare services and stronger collaboration between Parliament, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, healthcare professionals, civil society organisations, development partners and people living with diabetes.
Chinanzvavana further urges Zimbabwe to strengthen implementation of international frameworks, including the World Health Organization’s Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (PEN), PEN-Plus and ALIGN-T1D, to improve access to quality diabetes care.
If adopted, the motion could shape future health policy and influence budget priorities by directing more resources towards diabetes prevention, treatment and long-term care.