National labs become backbone of Zim’s health security

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke

Senior Health Reporter

ZIMBABWE is strengthening its early warning system for emerging infectious diseases through expanded laboratory testing capacity and the deployment of new surveillance technologies.

National laboratories provide specialised testing required to confirm suspected outbreaks, investigate difficult-to-diagnose cases and generate information that allows epidemiologists and public health authorities to determine the scale and nature of a threat.

Director of Laboratory Services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Raiva Simbi told The Sunday Mail that laboratories had become a critical component of the country’s health security architecture as Zimbabwe has strengthened preparedness for emerging and re-emerging diseases.

“National laboratories are the backbone of early detection and confirmation, and they are now at the forefront of our national security.

“When outbreaks start, the key question becomes: What is it and how quickly can we confirm and respond?” Dr Simbi

said.

He said the national laboratory network was structured to ensure suspected cases could be detected at lower levels of the health system before samples were referred to specialised facilities for confirmation.

One of the most significant developments in Zimbabwe’s infectious disease surveillance system has been the establishment of an environmental surveillance laboratory unit for polio early this year,

with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Gates Foundation.

“This facility allows us to test wastewater for poliovirus, enabling us to detect potential outbreaks even before clinical cases appear,” Dr Simbi said.

The development is significant for outbreak preparedness because environmental surveillance provides an additional layer of information alongside conventional case-based surveillance.

Zimbabwe, Dr Simbi said, had also strengthened its preparedness for other high-consequence infectious diseases, including Ebola.

“Furthermore, we have strengthened our ability to test for emerging threats like Ebola by developing and disseminating in-country testing guidelines.

“This capability builds on investments made during the Covid-19 pandemic, where the same equipment is now repurposed for any upcoming epidemic,” he said.

The country has also integrated laboratory surveillance into the One Health approach, which recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health.

Beyond specialised testing, the ministry is modernising the wider laboratory network to improve the speed at which results are generated and communicated.

The nationwide rollout of the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) has seen operational systems installed at 117 main laboratories linked to lower-level laboratories.

The electronic system is replacing paper-based processes and allows health facilities to request tests and receive results electronically, including through SMS.

Dr Simbi said the technology was particularly important for rural communities, where distance has traditionally been a major barrier to accessing diagnostic services and collecting results.

“A key part of this is the nationwide digitalisation of public laboratories through the Electronic Laboratory Information Management System, a game-changer that allows remote clinics to request tests and receive results instantly via SMS.

“This eliminates the need for patients to travel long distances to collect results or wait for physical sample transport,” he said.

The National Health Laboratory Strategic Plan 2025-2030 targets expansion of LIMS to 80 percent of facilities.

Despite the progress, Dr Simbi said Zimbabwe’s laboratory system continues to face challenges that could affect its ability to respond rapidly to a major outbreak if they are not addressed.

These include ageing equipment, shortage of spare parts, delays in repairs and maintenance, intermittent shortages of reagents and consumables, inadequate infrastructure in some facilities and shortages of skilled laboratory personnel.