Information minister Jenfan Muswere in his post-Cabinet briefing of 2 July 2024 makes a number of claims.
The Newsday in an article headlined, ‘Zim makes progress in Aids, malaria fight’, repeats these claims.
Are these the facts? We checked.
Claim 1: ‘In 2021, the proportion of people living with HIV who were put on antiretroviral therapy was 98%. The AIDS mortality rate continues to decline ‘
Verdict: Partly True.
Zimbabwe has demonstrated significant progress in its ongoing battle against HIV, marked by notable achievements in prevention, treatment, and management. The Minister of Information, Jenfan Muswere claims ‘ In 2021, the proportion of people living with HIV who were put on antiretroviral therapy was 98%’.
While the difference may be negligible, several publicly available sources put the figure at 97%
The estimated HIV prevalence rates have seen a reduction from 25% in 2002 to approximately 11.58% in 2021. This substantial decrease is indicative of successful prevention strategies, heightened awareness, and enhanced access to antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Over the past decade, Zimbabwe has achieved a reduction in national HIV incidence by more than 50%. In 2022, the incidence rate stood at 0.17%, with declines observed across all age groups.
Notably, there was a 7% reduction in new HIV infections among adults and a 9% reduction among children from 2021 to 2022.
The country has experienced a 42.75 decrease in HIV-related deaths over the last 5 years. Moreover, there has been a 62.8% reduction in new HIV infections over the last 5 years.
Therefore, the claim that ‘the AIDS mortality rate continues to decline’ has been rated as true, while the one on 98% being on anti-retro viral drugs is false, though the difference is negligible.
Claim 2: ‘Similarly the national malaria incidence has seen a steep decline of 70% in the last 3 years, from 32 cases per 1000 population in 2020 to 9 cases per 1000 in 2022.
Verdict: True
According to Information Minister Jenfan Muswere, there has been a 70% reduction in the national malaria incidence over the last three years.
According to the US President’s Malaria initiative – Zimbabwe, from 32 cases per 1,000 population in 2020, the rate dropped to 9 cases per 1,000 in 2022, which is in line with the minister’s figures. This significant decline is attributable to effective malaria control measures, including vector control, and prompt diagnosis and treatment.
However, other sources have differing figures as to the malaria incidence rate in Zimbabwe.
Conclusion
Publicly available sources support the minister’s claims that AIDS related mortality has been on the decline and that the country has reduced its malaria incidence. However, the claim that 98% of people living with HIV are on ART has been rated false though the difference is really negligible with other sources putting it at 97%.
