Project News

On the 16th of January 2023, our project successfully completed the first Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting which was held at a board room of Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) in Harare. JCC is organized for (i) reviewing progress of the Project, (ii) revising overall plan of the Project, (iii) exchange views on major issues in the project implementation, and so on. 17 participants were in attendance: MOHCC (Acting Permanent Secretary, Chief Director of Inspectorate, and Acting Chief Director of Human Resource), JICA (a mission from JICA HQ and JICA Zimbabwe office), Embassy of Japan in Zimbabwe, and the Project (Director of QAPS who is also the Project Director, Officers of QAPS and JICA Experts).

For a series of discussion during the meeting, JCC members made common understanding regarding the Project outline and progress and agreed revision of the project framework which is called "Project Design Matrix" composed of Overall Goal, Project Purpose, Outputs, Activities and Objectively Verifiable Indicators.

Participants of the JCC meeting

The meeting was graced by the Acting Permanent Secretary of MOHCC, Dr. Munyaradzi Dobbie who gave some Opening Remarks. The Acting PS appreciated JICA support and stated that the project would improve the client satisfaction, staff attitude, and stock management of medicines and medical equipment through the practice of 5S-KAIZEN-TQM approach and contribute to Zimbabwe's Universal Health Coverage (UHC) strategy. He also expressed his hope that the impacts of the project will spread to district hospitals and primary health care (PHC) facilities in the future.

Acting PS (left) and CD of Inspectorate (Right)

JCC members of JICA stressed the following three points:

1. In order to support eager quality improvement activities by hospital staff, the MOHCC and the Provincial Health Executive (PHE) need to be a core for promoting the Project activities and supporting further improvement of the workplace and process at hospital sites.
2. Regular information exchange between JICA and the Ministry of Health are crucial to regularly check whether the project is properly implemented in line with Zimbabwe's policy.
3. The project is very meaningful in the trend that the Japanese government announced a new global health strategy in 2022 and, as the host country for the G7 in 2023, has shown its intention to support the promotion of UHC in developing countries more than ever.

JICA Mission Ms. Fukao (L), JICA Zimbabwe Resident Representative, Mr. Kawazumi、(Center) and Embassy of Japan Counselor, Mr. Nakamura (R)

At the closing remarks, the Acting CD of the Human Resources expressed his appreciation for JICA's long-term cooperation in the health sector in Zimbabwe, as well as expectation of the success of the Project which would enhance capacity building of problem-solving activities among healthcare workers and improve the satisfaction of patients.

Acting CD of Human Resources

After the meeting, JICA mission and the QAPS Directorate signed the Minutes of the Meeting on the Detail Design Study. In the future, this agreement, especially "amendments of the project," will be signed as an official intergovernmental document between Japan and Zimbabwe. After the agreement, the Stage 2 of the Project (scheduled for around May 2023) will begin.

After signing by JICA Mission Ms. Fukao (L) and Director for QAPS Mr Musiwarwo Chirume (R) of the front row