Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Zimbabwe
  • News

Sanctions blamed for poor ARV rollout

    JOHANNESBURG

    Zimbabwe blames its declining healthcare system and anti-AIDS drug shortages on economic sanctions imposed by developed countries, according to the official Herald newspaper, which described the sanctions as "illegal".

    Testimony presented recently to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health showed that people were sometimes sharing antiretrovirals (ARVs) as a result of the drug shortages.

    "Sanctions kill ... as can already be seen by their effects on our livelihoods as a people ... look at fuel, look at drug supply and even ARVs," said Deputy health minister Edwin Muguti.

    Muguti noted that his department was working hard to correct the rollout of AIDS medication in the country, which has an estimated HIV prevalence of 20.1 percent.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join