Zimbabwe and South Korea Explore AI-Driven Solutions for Health Financing

The Zimbabwean government is currently exploring Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a mechanism to reform public health financing. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC 2026), Finance Minister Prof. Mthuli Ncube met with South Korean National Assembly member Hon. Cha Jiho to discuss leveraging AI to optimise healthcare resource allocation.

The bilateral talks centred on addressing systemic inefficiencies within Zimbabwe’s health sector. Faced with a widening financing gap due to a decline in support from traditional donor partners, the Zimbabwean government has been forced to seek alternative revenue streams.

Recent fiscal measures have included new taxes on fast foods and sugar-sweetened beverages to mobilise domestic resources. However, officials believe that integrating AI into public financial management could further bridge this gap by reducing financial leakages and improving transparency in a sector strained by increasing demand.

Despite the potential of the technology, both representatives acknowledged structural hurdles, most notably a deficit in specialised AI expertise and the ongoing impact of brain drain on local capacity. To counter these challenges, the discussions highlighted the necessity of bilateral knowledge exchange, specialised training, and skills development programs to facilitate the effective adoption of AI systems.

The dialogue framed AI as a crucial public good for global health and humanitarian responses, introducing the concept of Universal Intelligence Coverage to promote inclusive, tech-driven medical systems.

To solidify this cooperation, Minister Ncube proposed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Zimbabwe and the Republic of Korea focusing on public health and AI collaboration. He also invited Hon. Cha Jiho to participate in upcoming regional engagements, including the SADC Ministers of Finance and Health meeting or a future COMESA session, to broaden the discourse on technology’s role in African health financing.