In a significant milestone for public health, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) successfully hosted Zimbabwe’s first-ever Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) Conference on 4-5 March 2026, at the Hyatt Hotel in Harare.
Under the theme “Ending Preventable Maternal and Perinatal Mortality: Lessons Learned and Future Directions,” the conference brought together a “who’s who” of the RMNCAH+N landscape. The Honorable Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. D. T. Mombeshora, graced the gathering. It included high-level representatives from key ministries within the country’s social cluster, including education, agriculture, and social protection, underscoring the multi-sectoral nature of health challenges.
A palpable sense of achievement marked the opening ceremony. A particular highlight was the recognition of a cohort of Operational and Implementation Research Fellows, who were trained through Zimbabwe Countdown to 2030 Country collaboration (University of Zimbabwe’s Department of Global Public Health, the MoHCC, the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), and the Global Financing Facility (GFF)). Their graduation and subsequent dissemination of research findings served as a powerful testament to successful local capacity building.
A Platform for Evidence and Dialogue
The two-day program was organized around five main sub-themes, creating an “electric” atmosphere of knowledge exchange:
- Evaluating successful RMNCAH+N health interventions
- The importance of data in RMNCAH+N health strategies
- Building resilience in RMNCAH+N healthcare systems
- Community-based approaches to RMNCAH+N healthcare
- Social determinants of RMNCAH+N
Through a dynamic mix of oral abstract presentations and poster sessions, researchers, program managers, and implementing partners shared cutting-edge findings. Presentations covered a wide spectrum, from analyses of maternal mortality trends and the impact of user-fee removal to innovative community strategies such as the Young Mentor Mothers program and the use of machine learning to understand neonatal deaths. Sessions exploring the social determinants of health, including education, gender norms, and economic factors, reinforced the conference’s multi-sectoral approach.
The Countdown to 2030 Contribution: A Fitting Close to Phase III
The conference served as the capstone event for the Zimbabwe Countdown to 2030 (CD2030) Phase III project. The event powerfully demonstrated the strength of local institutional partnerships, with all consortium member organizations present, including the Pro-Vice Chancellor and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
CD2030’s contribution was woven throughout the program. Fellows from the CD2030 Phase I and II cohorts presented their findings directly to the policymakers and program managers who are best positioned to act on them. The CD2030 Immunization project team also utilized the platform to share their critical work.
Furthermore, the broader cohort of locally trained operational research fellows, whose projects were nurtured within the CD2030 ecosystem, disseminated their findings through high-quality oral presentations, directly informing the national dialogue. Several active researchers and partners presented their recent and current work.
The Countdown team played an integral role behind the scenes, contributing significantly to the conference’s planning and execution. The event was a clear affirmation that the strong institutional ties fostered by CD2030 continue to thrive.
The Road Ahead
The conference’s resounding success sends a clear message of unity and purpose. The unanimous takeaway, echoed from the podium to the exhibition halls, was a simple yet powerful call to action: “Every birth should be a celebration, not a crisis.”
As Zimbabwe looks to the future, the evidence shared and the partnerships strengthened at this inaugural conference will undoubtedly fuel the next wave of innovation and action. Attendees were encouraged to keep an eye out for the forthcoming conference abstracts, which will further enrich the global RMNCAH+N knowledge base.