HIV/AIDS

Facts: According to the World Health Organization, life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 45 for women and 46 for men. 60% of the worlds 40 million people with HIV/AIDS and 2/3 of the worlds AIDS related deaths are in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Zimbabwe, this means that 1.3 million are affected in a population of 11,600,000. Despite the fact that the overall incidence of HIV/ AIDS is declining due to increased awareness of cause, treatment and prevention, 34% of sexually active adults are HIV positive. One third of today's 15 year olds will die from this preventable disease.

HIV Positive Child

Prevention: Education about transmission and prevention has increased at Hospitals, Clinics, Schools and Churches. Early Diagnosis, treatment and lifetime compliance with medication regimes is encouraged. Anti-retrovirals are now available at designated sites along with lab monitoring to measure effectiveness of treatment. Mt Selinda Hospital offers clinics in VCT: Voluntary Counseling and Testing, PPTCT: Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission and OI: Opportunistic Infections.

Opportunistic Infections: Most persons with HIV/AIDS die of OI which refers to any infectious disease that the body is no longer able to overcome because of lack of a normal immune response. These include, for example, such diseases as TB, diarrheal diseases, pneumonia and infected wounds. Early treatment and diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death.

Malaria

The second most common disease is difficult to treat. It is carried by the Anopheles mosquito which is tiny, silent and has mutated to a more deadly variety which is resistant to drugs that were formerly effective. It claims the life of an African child every 30 seconds. It is a waterborne disease which thrives in the rainy season November to June . There are few mosquito control programs and not nearly enough mosquito nets especially in rural areas. Less than 5 % of rural African children sleep under mosquito nets.

Malaria is curable if treated promptly. Left untreated, it progresses to the brain causing convulsions, delerium , coma and death. There is research at the international level to develop drugs that will be more widely available.

Child With Malaria

Child Recovering From Malaria

Malnutrition

Once hailed as the "bread basket " of Africa, Zimbabwe has experienced declining food production and widespread hunger. It has been reported that 7 million people rely on food aid to survive due to poor harvests and lack of both fertilizer and seeds. The production of Maize has decreased from 2 million to 450 tons per year. According to Save the Children, 50% of the population is in need of assistance. Soaring world wide food costs and unemployment are exacerbating the situation. Malnutrition is a significant health issue especially for the elderly, babies, children, the very poor and those with chronic diseases. Over 3.5 million children world-wide die each year from under nutrition.

Mother With Malnourished Child

Under nourished child

Cholera

A breakdown of the water and sewage systems plus a lack of chemicals for water treatment led to a cholera epidemic in 2009 . Cholera is a water borne disease causing acute and massive diarrhea. The incubation period is 1-5 days and is spread by drinking contaminated water and personal contact. Severe diarrhea leads to dehydration and death if not promptly treated. Prevention includes strict handwashing, boiling clear water for five minutes and isolation. With timely intervention , cholera is both preventable and curable. The risk of future epidemics continues as long as people lack safe water.

"Zimbabwe's children deserve better. They deserve to go to school, to drink clean water, to receive quality health care and to go to bed without feeling hungry." - UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon