Gov’t prioritises early disease detection to curb ‘wastage’

Finance minister, Ndaba Gaolathe, said this is because the government continues to invest substantial resources in the healthcare system, but the expenditures have not yet translated into commensurate improvements in disease outcomes. Delivering the Budget Speech on Monday, Gaolathe said analysis shows that a significant share of health spending is driven by diseases that are both costly to treat but largely preventable.

Ndaba’s remarks come amidst a crippling healthcare system characterised by long-running shortage of drugs in public hospitals and clinics. According to both the acting director of Veterinary Services, Kobedi Segale and acting Lands and Agriculture minister, Edwin Dikoloti, the virus currently raging through the North-East mostly likely first entered the country during the festive season.From the “unprecedented” number of cases picked in testing last week, it is likely that cattle and other livestock could have been infected last year, without being reported.Animal health…