Abstract
The paper’s purpose was to investigate the obstacles the Zimbabwean government
faces as it works towards meeting Sustainable Development Goal 3, which speaks of
health and well-being for all. Various obstacles were observed, such as political and
economic issues, personnel leaving for greener pastures, dilapidated infrastructure,
and a lack of monitoring and evaluation systems that allow tracking of the goals. The
author used a qualitative method and adopted a document review for data collection.
Three major documents were used: The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s national
policy (2021-2025), the World Health Organization 2023 report, and UNDP’s 2020
Zimbabwe’s SDG Progress report. The researcher scanned through the documents
and highlighted areas where they discussed the SDG 3 challenges faced. The results
confirmed that Zimbabwe is facing numerous challenges, including a fragmented
procurement system and political and economic issues. The study's practical
implications are that this document may remind policymakers that the Sustainable
Development Goals, especially SDG 3, cannot be ignored, but effort is needed to
ensure that all obstacles impeding the attainment of SDG 3 are addressed.
Policymakers should provide a conducive environment that allows the ministries
concerned to work towards the attainment of SDG 3. Healthy people are productive,
and the focus will be on improving everyone's life, hence the need for SDG 3 to be
fulfilled so no one is left behind. Significant progress is made when people are
protected from illness, premature death is avoided, and the overall health of the
population is improved. Issues such as inequalities and poverty are eradicated, and
people enjoy prosperity and justice. The study is original and seeks to contribute to
the body of knowledge regarding SDG 3, the challenges Zimbabwe is facing, and
how they can be addressed to protect its citizens from diseases, improve prosperity,
and enhance socio-economic factors.