Inflation rises again as WHO report says life expectancy lowest in Zimbabwe

By Tererai Karimakwenda
10 April 2006

It is perhaps not surprising to many that the results of a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that people are dying younger in Zimbabwe than in any other country in the world. The report contains statistics for various health indicators in 192 countries. The life-expectancy data for Zimbabwe shows that on average men and women are living until age 36. But the average for women alone was estimated to be 34, down from 36 just 2 years ago. Men are estimated to be dying by age 37, the same as it was in 2004. Information provided by the child agency UNICEF supports findings by the WHO and is also alarming. For example 3 babies become infected with HIV in Zimbabwe every hour. Zimbabwean adults and children are now reported to be among the most vulnerable in the world. With food shortages, lack of healthcare, cholera and dysentery due to unsafe water and HIV/AIDs patients lacking anti-retroviral drugs and nutrients, it is surprising the WHO figures were not worse.

Over the weekend Zimbabweans got more bad news. The price of bread went up by 60% and the official statistics agency announced the annual inflation rate was approaching 1,000 percent. The poverty datum line is now Z$ 31,1 million, up from Z$25,5million per month. Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa visited a few shops in Harare and reports that bread now costs anywhere from Z$60 000 to Z$90 000 a loaf.
Muchemwa said the bread increase comes just after school fees had been increased for the second time in a year to a minimum of Z$6million for day schools. He said the feeling among people he met as he made the rounds is that the price hikes have already affected the mood of many Zimbabweans just days before the Easter holiday.
Last Friday The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights released a statement blaming the government for neglecting the health sector. The statement said:
“We maintain that the economic challenges prevailing in Zimbabwe do not justify Government’s failure to promote and protect the right to health. Striving to achieve, at the very least, minimum standards for health, is the basis of ending deprivation and inequality in access to health. Inadequate investment in the public health service continues to cause severe shortages of staff, supplies and equipment, resulting in unnecessary deaths and patient suffering.”
Dr Greg Powell who specialises in neo-natal care told us Monday that child mortality rates are going up mainly because of HIV/AIDs, combined with complications caused by the lack of good nutrition. He said many mothers are now delivering at home because hospital care is too expensive due to inflation. Dr Powell believes increased malnutrition has caused the death rate of those admitted to hospital to double. He also said the poor quality of life can be blamed on Operation Murambatsvina after it destroyed the homes and livelihood of nearly a million Zimbabweans.

Naturally the government has tried to find fault with the WHO report. The Daily Mirror reported that the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, David Parirenyatwa, said figures in the UN report were false. According to The Mirror he said: "There is nothing like that. Phone the WHO representative and he will tell you it’s not true." But then the same minister has never admitted that health care is failing in the country. In an interview with SW Radio Africa last year he said we reported falsely that there was a shortage of basic supplies and staff and that the health system was poor.

And as if to confirm the desperation we are hearing about 300 starving women gathered outside the offices of an NGO that distributes food monthly, only to find no food was available this time. A volunteer at the site told us that fuel shortages and government interference were being blamed for the failure to deliver food to these women this month. The volunteer also said she could see hunger on their faces. One of the women told the staff she had not had sadza for 3 days, just vegetables with no oil. This NGO used to distribute ARVs as well. But that was blocked by the government months ago.

All these facts point to the UN report as being correct. The government will never admit to any wrongdoing, but officials should at least address the common problems faced by all Zimbabweans. The ruling party is not immune to HIV/AIDs or to food and fuel shortages. Soldiers and the police are reported to be committing crimes more and more as they too feel the pinch of inflation. The opposition is now mobilising Zimbabweans to prepare for mass protests and civic organisations have resolved to unite to fight the government. A hungry man is truly an angry man and analysts are now predicting that Zimbabweans will overcome their fear and take to the streets if the government does not act soon to end their suffering. The statistics from the WHO show that we are dying anyway, so what is left to lose?