WHO at 75

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Reporter

The World Health Organization (WHO) has renewed its commitment to Health for All as part of its 75th-anniversary celebration of ensuring global safety and serving the vulnerable.

In Zimbabwe, the WHO has partnered with the Government in several significant public health milestones that have been realised over the past three decades.

WHO Representative in Zimbabwe Professor Jean-Marie Dangou said the 75th anniversary is an opportunity to stop and reflect on the remarkable achievements in advancing the health and well-being of the people of Zimbabwe as reflected in the National Health Strategy (2021-2025) which seeks to improve the health and wellness of all Zimbabweans.

 “In Zimbabwe, WHO has played a vital role in supporting the Government of Zimbabwe in attaining 90 percent immunization coverage, eradicating Polio in 2005, and eliminating Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus in 2002, all of which have been sustained to date. Additionally, Zimbabwe has seen a reduction in morbidity and mortality due to vaccine-preventable diseases, resulting in a steady decline in maternal and under-5 mortalities,” said WHO.

“While current mortality rates remain unacceptably high, at 462 deaths per 100,000 live births and 65 deaths per 1,000 live births respectively, the continuous positive reduction of mortalities is encouraging. In 2020, Zimbabwe achieved the UNAIDS’s 90-90-90 targets, placing it among the few African countries to do so. The country is also making significant progress toward meeting the 2025 targets. Zimbabwe is now one of only three Sub-Saharan African nations to have met the UNAIDS’s 95-95-95 HIV objectives.”

WHO said Zimbabwe is however still grappling with the challenge of both communicable diseases such as HIV, TB and non-communicable diseases like cancer and hypertension.

“Despite significant progress made in the fight against communicable diseases, particularly HIV and AIDS, it remains a major burden for the population. Meanwhile, non-communicable diseases affect people of all ages and socioeconomic classes. Additionally, malaria continues to pose a significant threat to the health of Zimbabweans, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality rates.”

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