Mkhululi Ncube-Zimpapers ReporterZIMBABWE’S life expectancy has increased by four years to 65, with women likely to live longer than men, a development the Ministry of Health and Child Care says is a positive sign of gains being recorded by the Second Republic in the health sector.This emerged at the recent Public Service Commission Retirement Conference that ended in Bulawayo yesterday.The conference drew close to 2 500 delegates.The conference tackled several topics about civil servants’ welfare issues and provided testimonies and presentations to help prepare the working class for life after work.Speaking at the discussion about “health and wellness in retirement”, Ministry of Health and Child Care Acting Director Policy Planning and Health Economics, Mr Tinotenda Kadzere, said the Second Republic had scored tangible gains in the health sector.He said the improved life expectancy was one of the key indicators in healthcare transformation.“Despite the challenges that we might be facing in the sector, from 2021, our life expectancy was around 61 at the onset of NDS1. We had a study that showed that it (life expectancy) has improved to an average of around 65,” said Mr Kadzere.“A four-year jump is not a joke over a short period of time. It shows that we are becoming healthier as a nation.”Under the Second Republic, led by President Mnangagwa, the Government, working closely with development partners, has accelerated the construction of new health facilities, the refurbishment and equipping of referral hospitals across the country.In the Matabeleland region, Mpilo Central Hospital continues to receive increased Government support and is one of the centres with an air ambulance rescue helicopter.
The state-of-the-art automated incinerator for medical waste disposal is another example.The Government has also facilitated the construction of new doctors’ quarters and refurbished the old ones, along with student nurses’ accommodation at Mpilo.At the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), a new Reference Laboratory is now in the installation phase, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe, and will encompass nine departments, including Haematology, Biochemistry, Histopathology, Immunology/Serology, Blood Bank, Microbiology and Viral Load/Tuberculosis testing.A number of clinics across Matabeleland are being built by communities supported by devolution funds from the Government, with several of them now operational.In Harare, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is undergoing major refurbishments, with the nurses’ residence nearing completion.Renovations at the Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital are in progress, with completion expected by December 2025.Plans for renovating the main hospitalblock are also being assessed. The hospital has also seen recent upgrades, including a new renal unit and a paediatric operating theatre. These improvements are a result of Government and private sector partnerships aimed at enhancing facilities and care, and could serve as a model for other public health institutions in Zimbabwe.In the fight against HIV, the country has achieved the 95-95-95 target, with high ART coverage and viral load suppression across various provinces.As of 2024, the country entered the epidemic control phase, whereby the total number of new HIV infections (14 987) is less than the total number of AIDS related deaths (16 723), with both the number of new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths on the decline.The Government has moved in to address the medicine shortages in hospitals, with 80 percent of all needed medicines now available across the country, according to Mr Kadzere.Among other strides, ART coverage for adults reached 96.8 percent in 2024, coverage for children is steadily increasing.Mr Kadzere said life expectancy for women was higher compared to men, with females expected to live as long as 67 years.He said the development shows that Zimbabwe is on target to achieve Vision 2030.“Women are living longer compared to men; there is a need to push life expectancy for men.
When we look at the vision of an upper middle-income country, which needs to have a life expectancy of around 70 years, it means women are three years away from it compared to men,” said Mr Kadzere.He said in terms of the universal health coverage, Zimbabwe’s health service coverage has also improved and is hovering above the regional average.“In Africa, the average life expectancy is around 63 years, with countries like Algeria, Cape-Verde at around 75, while others like Chad are at 58,” said Mr Kadzere.“We feel that as a country, we are in the right direction to improve life expectancy.”He said studies have shown that the top 10 causes of mortality in the country are HIV and Aids, Influenza and Pneumonia, Road Traffic accidents, Coronary Heart Disease, diarrhoeal diseases for the under-five years, low birth weight, stroke, severe underweight for the under-fives, birth trauma and diabetes mellitus.“For us to increase life expectancy, there is a need to finance the health sector so that we can prevent disease and cure them,” said Mr Kadzere.“The allocation remains below the 15 percent Abuja Declaration and far from the 2025 ministry bid.”Mr Kadzere said there had been a major decline in maternal mortality rates from 615 in 2015 to 212 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births, against the recommended sustainable development goal of70 per 100 000. ZIMBABWE’S life expectancy has increased by four years to 65, with women likely to live longer than men, a development the Ministry of Health and Child Care says is a positive sign of gains being recorded by the Second Republic in the health sector. This emerged at the recent Public Service Commission Retirement Conference that ended in Bulawayo yesterday. The conference tackled several topics about civil servants’ welfare issues and provided testimonies and presentations to help prepare the working class for life after work.
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