VZCZCXRO2764
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0324/01 1071410
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171410Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4389
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY CLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000324 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AFR/SA FOR HARMON, DOBBINS 
AFR/SD FOR SUKIN 
AA/AFR FOR MOORE 
AF/S FOR BWALCH 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELE GAVIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID EAGR PREL PGOV ZI
SUBJECT:  AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON ZIM MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD 
WELFARE 
 
-------- 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1.  Summary:  On April 8 Ambassador paid a courtesy call on 
Zimbabwe's new Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr. Henry 
Madzorera.  He was accompanied by USAID Mission Director Karen 
Freeman and CDC Country Director, Dr. Ruth Walkup.  Dr. Madzorera 
was joined by his Permanent Secretary Dr. Gerald Gwinji and a 
representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The meeting was 
cordial and brief.  The Ambassador assured Dr. Madzorera of the 
USG's continuing support for the health sector in Zimbabwe, 
particularly HIV/AIDS.  Very briefly USAID and CDC provided 
summaries of their on-going programs in Zimbabwe.  The meeting 
closed with a brief discussion between the Minister and Ambassador 
on their common interest in leadership development for Zimbabwe. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
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Madzorera Bio 
------------- 
 
¶2.  Dr. Henry Madzorera, who is a trained medical doctor, was born 
on March 10, 1960.  The Kwekwe-based physician is married with three 
children.  Madzorera holds an MBChB - the degrees of Bachelor of 
Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.  He also holds a Masters in 
Business Administration Degree, and a Diploma in Occupational 
Health.  He is a member of the College of Primary Care Physicians of 
Zimbabwe (MCPCZ).  He is also an enrolled student at the University 
of Zimbabwe's Masters of Public Health program which is supported by 
USG funds through CDC. 
 
¶3.  Madzorera joined the MDC in 2000.  He ran and lost when he stood 
as the MDC's mayoral candidate for Kwekwe City in 2002.  Madzorera 
worked as the party's district treasurer in Kwekwe from 2003 to 
¶2006.  In 2006, he was elected the party's secretary for health, a 
post he has held since.  He was appointed Minister of Health and 
Child Welfare, replacing ZANU-PF's Dr. David Parirenyatwa, in 
February 2009. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Long Partnership and Supportive Stance 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. The Ambassador opened with an expression of support for the 
policies, programs, and activities of the Ministry of Health and 
Child Welfare (MOHCW).  The USG has worked broadly with the MOHCW 
for many years but has for the past several years primarily 
supported programs in HIV/AIDS with annual programming exceeding 
US$60 million which includes ARV coverage for 40,000 people.  The 
Minister outlined the current health situation and in particular the 
problems presented by a lack of investment in the health system, the 
brain drain from the sector, staff retention issues, and the current 
cholera crisis facing the nation. He said that since assuming his 
post he has spent most of his time trying to get a clearer picture 
of the Ministry and its staff as well as the health systems and the 
current emergency.  He said that he was well aware of the extensive 
support of the U.S. and looked forward to continued partnership. 
The Ambassador said that it was the USG's intent to support MOHCW 
programs, not to create new or parallel ones.  Furthermore, he said 
that we understood that given the rising interest in Zimbabwe by 
donors and funded NGOs, the immediate future of health care 
assistance could be chaotic - without express planning and 
determination by the MOHCW and other Ministries. 
 
--------------- 
Beyond HIV/AIDS 
--------------- 
 
¶5. The Ambassador went on to say that although our programs have 
been largely focused on HIV/AIDS, USG programs actually support more 
areas.  Dr. Walkup explained how CDC laboratory support cuts across 
Qareas.  Dr. Walkup explained how CDC laboratory support cuts across 
diseases.  She offered that CDC can also facilitate short- or 
medium-term specific health systems strengthening assistance to 
MOHCW staff.  This would be in the form of specialists who would 
work directly with MOHCW staff. 
 
¶6. The Ambassador noted that we have new funding this year in 
measles and TB, and increases in family planning funding.  Ms. 
Freeman added that USAID has had a long partnership with the 
Ministry and its very competent staff.  She emphasized that U.S. 
assistance has always been systems-based and would continue to be so 
in order to support the very strong planning framework of the MOHCW. 
 That said, in addition to the Ambassador's list, malaria support 
had also been added this year in support of the MOHCW plans.  She 
 
HARARE 00000324  002 OF 002 
 
 
said that the USAID Mission is in the process of transition planning 
which includes expansion in the area of general health and that they 
would welcome the Minister and his staff's input. 
 
¶7. The Ambassador turned the conversation to the Global Fund and 
expressed the USG's concern that the Fund represented a huge 
resource that needed to be managed carefully.  The Minister 
acknowledged that this was a great resource and that he had met with 
the Global Fund representatives recently.  The Ambassador informed 
the Minister that the USG has been an active participant in the 
Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) as a donor representative and 
would continue to be so. 
 
¶8. The meeting closed with a cordial exchange between the Ambassador 
and the Minister on their mutual interest in youth and leadership in 
Zimbabwe.  The Minister reiterated how much he welcomed the 
partnership of the United States and that he looked forward to 
working with USAID and CDC. 
 
¶9. COMMENT:  Accompanied by several "minders" Minister Madzorera 
said very little but clearly was aware of the past contribution of 
USG health programs.  Madzorera's Permanent Secretary Dr. Gwinji, 
was one of those put into place by ZANU-PF at the outset of the GNU 
and comes from the military.  Although staunchly ZANU-PF, Gwinji is 
technically respected.  Madzorera has a huge job in front of him but 
probably also has the most donor support of all of the Ministries. 
While not as polished as his predecessor, Madzorera enjoys the 
reputation of being an honest broker.  He is expected to travel to 
the U.S. at the end of April on a Freedom House-sponsored trip with 
other members of the government.  END COMMENT. 
 
MCGEE