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UN-population-Zimbabwe: AIDS cuts Zimbabwe's population growth rate

Agence France-Presse - September 22, 1999

HARARE, Sept 22 (AFP) - World population growth problems highlighted in a UN report are a double-edged sword in Zimbabwe because of AIDS, a government minister indicated Wednesday.

State Planning Minister Swithun Mombeshora said at a ceremony launching the UN's State of the World Population Report it was gratifying that the population growth rate was declining in Zimbabwe.

But, he told the state news agency Ziana, it was disheartening that the decrease was mainly accounted for by the AIDS pandemic.

"Although the causes for the fall in the rate of growth in Zimbabwe's population could be the subject of various interpretations ... the HIV/AIDS pandemic is likely to be a significant culprit for the fall," Mombeshora said.

He gave no figures for the decline in the birth rate, but official statistics show that some 1,200 people are dying from AIDS each week in Zimbabwe, which has a total population of some 12 million people.

While a decline in population growth might be seen as desirable, AIDS has a major negative impact, cutting down economically-active age groups, burdening health programmes and creating thousands of orphans.

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