UPR Sexual Rights Database

"National Report:
Para 58) The Public Health Act [Chapter 15:09] provides for the protection of public health, including prevention and suppression of infectious and sexually transmitted diseases …

Para 62) The availability of vital medicines at institutions by the end of 2013 was 66.6%. With development partner support, which is targeted at the communities, 87.2% of primary health care facilities have at least 80% of selected essential medicines. Government has removed customs duty on all imported anti-malarial medicines and commodities and permitted local pharmaceutical companies to produce anti-retroviral drugs. Government has a bilateral agreement for doctors and other health professionals with countries such as Cuba to alleviate shortage of doctors in the country.

Para 63) Government is scaling up Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) services to reduce morbidity and mortality due to HIV and AIDS through: making drugs available and accessible; offering patients ARVs free of charge; training primary counsellors in rapid HIV testing; establishing sites offering ART services; and mobilising and empowering communities to support improved access to care and support.

Para 126) Despite facing economic challenges, Government remains committed to making funding mechanisms in the social services sector such as BEAM and AMTO viable. It is engaging development partners to continue supporting these mechanisms as well as others such as the Health Development Fund and the Child Protection Fund while it pursues ways of fully funding them from its own resources. For example, Government established the National AIDS Trust Fund, which is funded through the AIDS Levy, to cater for those living with HIV and AIDS (about 1.4 million people are living with HIV and AIDS, of which about 800,000 are receiving treatment). Government plans to introduce a national health insurance scheme to ensure that all persons, especially the vulnerable, can have access to proper health care.

Midterm report
The new Constitution makes specific provision for the right to health care. The right includes the right of every person living with a chronic illness to have access to basic healthcare services for the illness and the requirement that no person may be refused emergency medical treatment in any health-care institution.

More health institutions have been created to ensure that the majority of the population is within a 10 kilometre radius of a health centre. This is the country’s set standard within the Primary Health Care Approach which was adopted when Zimbabwe signed the 2008 Ouagadougou Declaration on Primary Healthcare and Health Systems in Africa. Following this, priority has been placed on revitalising the health care delivery system to ensure an effective and efficient referral system and emergency services. Most primary care facilities are functional as they continue to benefit from both Government and donor resources.

The availability of vital medicines at institutions by the end of 2013 was 66.6%. With development partner support, which is targeted at the communities, 87.2% of primary health care facilities have at least 80% of selected essential medicines.

Government is scaling up Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) services to reduce morbidity and mortality due to HIV and AIDS through :
• making drugs available and accessible;
• offering patients ARVs free of charge;
• training primary counsellors in rapid HIV testing;
• establishment of sites offering ART services; and
• mobilising and empowering communities to support improved access to care and support.

UN Compilation:
Para 79) The country team stated that while the States signatories to the Abuja Declaration on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Related Infectious Diseases had called upon countries to allocate at least 15 per cent of their gross domestic product to the health sector, Zimbabwe only allocated 9.73 per cent in 2016

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 69) JS8 stated that during the 2011 review, Zimbabwe supported recommendations related to the continuation of efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis as well as mortality rate caused by HIV, and development of a financing mechanism to help the underprivileged. Despite support for those recommendations, children continue to experience difficulties in accessing health services.

Para 70) JS7 stated that at the 2011 review, Zimbabwe undertook to continue efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis with the assistance of development partners. In 2012, the HIV Combination Prevention Strategy relating to prevention interventions was adopted. Anti-Retroviral Therapy services was increased with the drugs being available and accessible free of charge"