By Prince Njagu
Zimbabwe is closer to meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in combating HIV and AIDS, an official from United Nations said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a discussion forum held in the capital, which was aimed at assessing the progress made by Zimbabwe towards combating HIV/AIDS in relation to achieving the 2015 MDGs; United Nations Country Director Michael Bartos said the country has made significant progress towards achieving MDG in combating HIV and AIDS.
“Zimbabwe is ranked number 72 in terms of world population size but it’s contributing only 4% of the world’s total AIDS infected population,” he said.
Zimbabwe was ranked 4th in terms of antiretroviral use globally and according to Bartos use of antiretroviral was contributing towards the decline in the number of deaths due to AIDS.
The increase in the number of people using antiretroviral drugs in the country has enabled the number of AIDS related death to continue to drop.
“In a high income setting a 20 year old person can expect to live 5years less than someone who is not infected,” said Bartos.
Despite the improvement, Bartos indicated that Zimbabwe is ranked 6th in terms of death from AIDS infection globally.
“AIDS remains the overwhelming cause of deaths in Zimbabwe, 29% of years are lost through AIDS death,” he said.
However Bartos said ending AIDS should not be a public health threat by 2030.
“The country is losing key economic contributors in terms of manpower resources as a result of AIDS.
“Ending AIDS is still a job which needs to be done and it should be handled as a task and not a slogan,” he said.
According to UNAIDS statistics Zimbabwe was contributing 3% of the global new infections in 2013 and AIDS levels rose sharply in the country during the mid-1990s but the figures have substantially dropped during the second half of the 2000 era.
Eight international development goals were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000 with the goals being aimed at eradicating extreme poverty, achieve universal primary education for all, to promote gender equality, reduction in child mortality, improved maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases to ensure environmental sustainability and to develop a global partnership for development.
All 189 United Nations member states (then) committed to help achieve these goals and Zimbabwe being a member state has been working towards achieving an AIDS free generation.
