HEALTH SERVICE PROVISION IN THE MIDLANDS PROVINCE OF ZIMBABWE: A GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Evans Chazireni* and Effel Tembo

ABSTRACT

Zimbabwe like many other developing countries has numerous challenges in its health service provision system. Different districts and provinces experience numerous healthcare problems. Midlands, like other provinces in Zimbabwe, experiences severe healthcare challenges. The goal of this study is to examine health service provision in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. Data for this study was collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data was gathered through questionnaires. Secondary data were obtained from Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (2014) published sources and Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (2014) published sources. The analysis of the data was done through the multiple component index method. The calculated multiple component indices were used to rank the districts according to the level of health service provision. The researchers found out that overall, the conditions of health service provision in the Midlands province is poor and that there are health service inequalities among districts in the province. It also emerged from the study that the inequalities are grounded in social, economic, physical and political factors. Various recommendations were made in this study on how to reduce the health care inequalities and improve the overall health system of the province.

Keywords: Health, disease, inequalities, multiple component Index and Zimbabwe.