Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - March 17, 2005

Despite the world's fourth highest rate of HIV/Aids and the highest rise in child mortality of any nation, Zimbabweans receive just a fraction of donor funding compared to other countries in their region.

"The world must differentiate between the politics and the people of Zimbabwe," said Unicef executive director Carol Bellamy, speaking in Johannesburg. "Every day children in Zimbabwe are dying of HIV/Aids, every day children are becoming infected, orphaned, and forced to leave school to care for sick parents. The global generosity towards tsunami victims was inspiring, but it has dried up for Zimbabwean children who are facing a deadly crisis every day of their lives."

Unicef said this massive disparity in aid comes despite the fact that:

The under-five mortality rate has risen 50% since 1990 (now one death for every eight births);

One hundred babies become HIV-positive every day in Zimbabwe;

One in five Zimbabwean children are now orphans (one million from HIV/Aids);

A child dies every 15 minutes due to HIV/Aids in Zimbabwe, and

160 000 children will experience the death of a parent in 2005.

In 2004-2005 Zimbabwe received no HIV/Aids funding support from the main donor initiatives, including the United States President's initiative on HIV and Aids or the World Bank's Map initiative. It also received exceptionally limited funds from the Global Fund against Aids/TB/Malaria.

In Southern Africa, the area most devastated by HIV/Aids, the average annual donor spending per HIV infected person among these three initiatives is $74. In Zimbabwe the figure is just $4.

In Zambia, a country with slightly lower HIV rates than Zimbabwe, donors give $187 per HIV-positive person; in Namibia $101, in Uganda $319, and in Eritrea $802.

Overall donor support for Zimbabwe is also far lower than any other country in the region. The World Bank estimates that Zimbabweans receive $14 per capita, from both official development assistance (ODA) and official aid from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, other international organisations and from individual nation donors. This is less than one-quarter of what Namibians ($68) receive, and around 12% of those in neighbouring Mozambique ($111).

Despite the dearth in funds, Zimbabwe is making inroads in the fight against HIV/Aids and rising child mortality. Unicef is providing community support to counseling and psychosocial support for 100 000 orphaned children, and has provided assistance in achieving a national measles coverage of 95%, while reaching more than 750 000 children under age five with supplementary feeding.

This progress has occurred thanks to critical and direct support from the UK's Department for International Development, the European Commission, and the Norwegian, Dutch, Japanese and German governments.

But much more could be done with greater funding, said the Unicef statement.

Despite the current political climate, Zimbabwe is one of but a few countries with a national plan of action for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) adopted by the government. This plan is costed and includes a clear monitoring and evaluation plan. Unicef is responsible for overall UN coordination of the OVC response, and is supporting implementation across Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is the only country in Africa which has instituted a three percent tax levy to mobilise domestic resources for fighting HIV/Aids.

"Some 110 Zimbabweans under the age of 15 will become infected with HIV/Aids today," said Bellamy. "Another 110 will be infected tomorrow, 110 more the day after that. Yet despite these horrendous numbers Zimbabweans have the determination and the education to defeat HIV/Aids and other causes of child mortality. But to do so they need international help."

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