UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report Annex:
A national plan of action to combat the practice of child marriage is being developed.

UN Compilation:
Para 70) A national action plan to end child marriage was being implemented.

UN Compilation:
Para 7) … CEDAW expressed concern at the long delays in amending legislation subsidiary to the Constitution and by the remaining discriminatory provisions in the legislative framework, including provisions on marriage and property rights and on the minimum age for marriage.

National Report:
Para 29) Zimbabwe has made positive efforts to create an enabling policy environment for the improvement of public health. This has been done through the National Health Strategy (NHS) for Zimbabwe 2016-2020 and a robust HIV response strategy. The NHS seeks to achieve equity and quality in health.
Para 35) Government continues to strengthen its efforts to combat HIV/AIDS.

National Report Annex:
Government continues fighting HIV/AIDS through a robust HIV response strategy. The strategy includes domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) through an AIDS levy to ensure sustainability. The DRM is supplemented by donor support to the health sector through the Health Development Fund and the Global Fund, which secured over $400 million dollars for HIV related interventions.

The 2019 MICS revealed that among men and women between the ages 15-49 years, 77% and 88% of men and women respectively, have ever been tested for HIV in their lives. The proportion of those who have ever been tested and also knew their status was 75% among males and 87% among females. The 2019 MICS also showed that around 48% of males had an HIV test within the 12 months preceding the survey, and amongst women, 61% reported to having been tested during the same period. Nearly all of the males and females who were tested within the 12 months that preceded the 2019 MICS knew the results of their tests. The results of the 2019 MICS when compared with those from previous surveys show significant improvements in HIV testing among both males and females.

In the period between 2016 and 2018, an average of 92% of pregnant and lactating women were provided with HIV PMTCT services. In the same timeframe, the proportion of children born with HIV was 4%, 3% and 4% respectively. The total number of people who died from AIDS declined from 23 496, to 23 885 and 23 107 respectively.
The GoZ continues in its efforts to combat diseases. Especially malaria and HIV/AIDS.

Over the years, Zimbabwe has made significant gains in curbing the HIV/Aids pandemic, with the prevalence rate now around 11 percent from a high of around 25 percent. Zimbabwe also achieved the 2020 targets of ensuring that 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 90 percent of those who know their status are on ART and 90 percent of those on ART are virally suppressed. Development partners such as the Global Fund and other stakeholders have supported Government’s efforts. With continued support from development partners, considerable progress can be made towards ending HIV/Aids by 2030.

Zimbabwe has completed its National Strategic Plan for 2021-2025 focusing on investment in health and social protection among others, whilst protecting the gains achieved so far.

Local pharmaceutical firms currently produce only 12 percent of medicines consumed in the country. Measures by Government to help raise this low threshold include backing the pharmaceutical sector to increase local production through, for example, buying its products and importing less through the government-owned National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe.

A pharmaceutical manufacturing strategy for Zimbabwe (2021-2025), running under the theme, “Enhancing productivity and competitiveness of the Zimbabwe pharmaceutical industry”, was launched in June 2021. The strategy seeks to boost local production of pharmaceuticals. At the launch, Government assured the pharmaceutical companies that it would buy locally-produced consumables and not import what is produced locally.

National Report:
Para 82) The GoZ has in the past reported on the different measures that it has put in place to facilitate the registration of all births, including legislative measures.
Para 83) The report on the ZHRC National Inquiry on Access to Documentation, including findings and recommendations was launched in 2020 and some of the recommendations are being implemented.
Para 84) The Civil Registry in collaboration with ZIMSTAT began producing Vital Statistical reports during the year 2021. These have statistics which are useful in determining the completeness of the birth registrations across the country as registered births will be expressed as a proportion of projected number of births which would have occurred during a reporting year.
Para 85) The Registrar General and Matabeleland Collective Trust concluded a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the intention of mobilising citizens in three provinces to take up their constitutional citizenship rights and to provide them with ease of access to national documentation for the full participation and enjoyment of their rights as Zimbabweans.

National Report Annex:
For general information on measures to improve on birth registration, refer to the 2nd Cycle report. Government is in the process of simplifying administrative procedures by aligning the Births and Deaths Registration Act to the Constitution and reviewing procedure manuals. As a measure to ensure that all births are registered, the Civil Registry collaborates with the Social Development department in registering abandoned and orphaned children. This arrangement has always benefited those children who do not meet basic requirements for birth registration.Government decentralised civil registration services through the establishment of 206 sub offices that are located at all major hospitals, some district hospitals and clinics; and other strategic places. Central, Provincial and District hospitals can now issue birth certificates immediately after children are born in the health facility and areas around the health facility.
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The law of Zimbabwe requires every birth to be registered (s81(1) of the Constitution).However, citizenship is not conferred by such registration to persons who do not qualify for citizenship in terms of the Constitution. Note that in terms of the Constitution (s36(3)), a child found in Zimbabwe who is, or appears to be, less than fifteen years of age, and whose nationality and parents are not known, is presumed to be a Zimbabwean citizen by birth.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 93) Referring to relevant supported recommendations from the previous review, SOSCVZ stated that the situation on the ground remained unchanged, with access to birth registration and the acquisition of birth certificates remaining a challenge for children and parents.
Para 94) ZiCLAN stated that mobile birth registration undertaken for children in residential care resulted in children being issued with abridged birth certificates which were not recognized by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture for applications for national identity cards and passports.
Para 95) JS12 stated that birth registration was particularly difficult for people in remote areas because the registry offices were centralized.