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A delegation from the United Nations Global Team is in the country to assess and collaborate on development assistance towards the country’s health sector. The team, representing a grouping known as H4+, arrived in the country yesterday and is expected to hold meetings with officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care and other stakeholders after which they will visit districts they are supporting for familiarisation.
H4+ comprises the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Bank, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNAIDS and UN Women.
Family health director in the ministry Dr Bernard Madzima said under the H4+ banner, these UN agencies were currently assisting in maternal and child health care programmes in six hard-to-reach districts.
These districts are Gokwe North, Chipinge, Mbire, Hurungwe, Binga and Chiredzi.
“H4+ is working in six hard-to-reach districts concentrating mainly on maternal and child health programmes,” said Dr Madzima.
He said H4+ has already channelled $10 million for the period between 2012 to 2015.
H4+ is the UN secretary-general’s commitment to help countries with high maternal mortality ratios accelerate their efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals targets.
Zimbabwe’s maternal mortality ratio is now on a downward trend and currently stands at 614 deaths per 100 000 live births.
The figure declined from 960 deaths per every 100 000 live births in 2010.
However, Zimbabwe’s target in line with the MDG targets was to reduce the MMR to 174 deaths in every 100 000 live births.
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014, an estimated 75 children in every 1 000 die before celebrating their fifth birthday.
The country had targeted to reduce the number of children who die before reaching the age of five years by at least 75 percent from 102 deaths per 1 000 live births by end of 2015.
The target translates to about 27 deaths per 1 000 live births by the end of this year.
Online Reporter