Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
ZIMBABWE’s health sector has stepped up efforts to address substance abuse among healthcare workers, with stakeholders convening in Harare for a high-level technical consultative forum aimed at developing lasting solutions.
Authorities warn that drug and substance abuse is increasingly affecting healthcare professionals entrusted with saving lives, prompting urgent intervention to safeguard both workers and patients.
Secretary of the Health Service Commission, Dr Christopher Pasi, said the commission is concerned by rising cases emerging through disciplinary channels.
“As the Health Service Commission, we are the custodians of the health workforce in Zimbabwe, numbering up to 52 000 workers… We realise there is a big problem of alcohol and substance abuse within the community… these are issues that are also coming to the Health Service Commission as disciplinary matters… we feel that we should bring together the professional councils and regulators… to come up with a framework that manages the issue… and take a preventive approach,” he said.
Dr Pasi noted that while comprehensive data remains limited, frequent reports suggest the problem may be underreported, with one professional council indicating that about 10 percent of disciplinary cases are linked to substance abuse.
The Health Professions Authority, which oversees eight professional councils, confirmed that cases are being recorded across multiple disciplines.
Secretary General, Mrs Clotilda Chimbwanda, said efforts are now focused on creating a unified framework to standardise responses, strengthen early detection and promote rehabilitation.
“We do have a challenge of drug and substance abuse that is ongoing; there have been reports across all the councils. One of the key issues is to now come up with something that is standardised, a standardised approach that cuts across all the health professions,” she said.
She added that access to medicines within health facilities, alongside substances obtained externally, presents a complex challenge requiring coordinated oversight.
Zimbabwe is already grappling with widespread substance abuse in communities, and the health sector is now prioritising internal safeguards, focusing on prevention, early intervention and support systems.
Stakeholders say the goal is to protect a critical and highly trained workforce while ensuring safe and effective healthcare delivery nationwide.
