Harare [Zimbabwe], February 3 (ANI): In a stark reflection of deepening economic hardship and shifting social priorities, millions of Zimbabweans are opting for funeral insurance instead of health coverage, highlighting the country’s struggle to provide affordable medical care, reported Al Jazeera.
Funeral insurance has emerged as the most common form of financial protection for households, even as healthcare costs continue to overwhelm family budgets. The experience of Steward Ganda, 60, illustrates this harsh reality. Suffering from a debilitating illness, Ganda was unable to access early medical treatment due to cost constraints and spent his final months at home in Kambuzuma, a low-income suburb of Harare, before being admitted to hospital.
His family could not afford a specialist consultation fee of $600, an amount far beyond their means, and Ganda died within a month. “We couldn’t raise that amount,” his nephew Ngoni Mutambararo told Al Jazeera. His death underscores a growing national trend: while health insurance can cost around $200 per month, funeral insurance premiums often start at just $0.75 to $1, making them far more accessible to low-income families.
As a result, funeral cover has overtaken medical insurance as the most widely held financial product in Zimbabwe. Current estimates indicate that nearly 90 per cent of the population—around 16 million people—lack health insurance and are forced to pay medical expenses out of pocket.
Although some middle- and high-income earners receive employer-provided medical cover, fewer than 900,000 Zimbabweans are in formal employment with such benefits. Industry experts cite affordability, exclusions, and unpredictable out-of-pocket costs as key reasons for the low uptake of health insurance.
“Funerals are immediate, unavoidable events that come with significant financial and communal expectations,” said Innocent Tshuma, public relations manager at a funeral services provider. “In contrast, access to comprehensive medical aid remains limited due to affordability challenges and coverage gaps.”
Zimbabwe’s public healthcare system, weakened by chronic underfunding, inadequate infrastructure, and the migration of healthcare professionals, has further aggravated the crisis. Public hospitals and clinics often struggle to deliver quality care, leading many citizens to avoid seeking treatment unless absolutely necessary.
Cultural factors also influence insurance choices. Some Zimbabweans, including physician Vivek Solanki, note that discussions about illness and medical emergencies can be socially sensitive, while planning for death is widely accepted and prioritised.
In response, community-based solutions have emerged alongside formal insurance products. Informal burial societies and grassroots savings groups allow members to contribute small monthly amounts toward funeral costs, offering support to those unable to afford commercial policies.
The government has acknowledged the urgent need to expand healthcare access and plans to introduce a national health insurance scheme later this year. Until then, millions of Zimbabweans continue to face a grim choice: prepare for death through affordable funeral insurance or risk financial ruin when medical emergencies strike. (ANI)
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