Ideas matter: An analysis of the effects of framing on health system strengthening in Zimbabwe

The vulnerability and emotional frames that attracted donor funding during peak crisis have lost potency over time. Shifts in framing require proactive action, as policy underreaction can lead to exacerbated problems, missed opportunities for improvement and a loss of public trust in government effectiveness and responsiveness. Nascent, overly futuristic framings such as "resilience" need to be interpreted with caution, as they may cloud the reality that HSS is simply sufficient investment in basic functions. HSS needs to be reframed as a routine, country-owned strategy aimed at improving health system performance rather than a crisis response shaped by donor interventions. Zimbabwe has a rich history of effectively framing events to design and implement pragmatic, domestic -led policies towards HSS, and such latent potential should be tapped into to steer progressive reforms.