Oxfam Ireland Core Country: Zimbabwe
Mar 2009: Rebuilding Trust in Politically Divided Zimbabwe
Mar 2009: In Mudzi, Shortages of Fuel and Medicine Compound Challenges of Tackling Cholera Epidemic
Feb 2009: Morgan Tsvangirai sworn in as President of Zimbabwe. Read a first-person account from Oxfam's Caroline Gluck.
Dec 2008: Cholera Epidemic in Zimbabwe
Country Statistics
| Population: | 12.3 million |
| Year of Independence: | 1980 |
| Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births): | 51.1 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | 39.5 years |
| People living with HIV and AIDS: | 24.6% /1.8 million (2001 est.) |
| Literacy (people aged 15 and over that are literate): | 90.7% (2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 70% |
| Currency: | Zimbabwean Dollar |
Oxfam in Zimbabwe:
Zimbabwe, like many of its neighbours in Southern Africa, is seriously affected by the HIV pandemic. Infection rates have been decreasing over time from 30%-32% in early 2000 to 20.1% in 2006 (UNAIDS estimation). However, still one in five is infected with HIV. Average life expectancy has fallen to 34 years of age for women (the lowest in the world) and 37 years of age for men.
Oxfam Ireland is supporting the Combined Oxfam Gender and HIV and AIDS (COGENHA) Programme. COGENHA is managed by Oxfam Australia and funded by Oxfam Ireland, Oxfam Germany and Oxfam Australia. It now works with 11 local organisations which are working to reduce the rate of new infections, particularly among women and young people, and strengthen community capacity to care for and support people living with HIV. The 5 thematic areas for COGENHA are: gender equity, sexual behaviour change, care and support for the infected, capacity building of carers, management and governance of partners.
Our partners in Zimbabwe
SHAPE (Sustainability, Hope, Action, Prevention, Education)
Students at Midland State University in Gweru use drama to show other students how HIV can spread. Photo: William Nyamuchengwa/OxfamAUS.
Inspirational gender activists help other students understand how changing their behaviour can reduce the spread of HIV. Photo: William Nyamuchengwa/OxfamAUS
SHAPE's Gender, Masculinities and HIV project aims to reduce the spread of HIV among young people by challenging traditional gender roles that condone risky sexual behaviour among men and reinforce women's lower status, thus limiting their ability to negotiate safer sex. It does this by providing a platform for students to openly and freely discuss things such as HIV, sex, condoms, gender roles and sexual harassment, without fear of ridicule or judgment.
For more information on this partner download the booklet 'Transforming Toxic Behaviour'
Zimbabwe Women Against AIDS, Poverty and Violence
Batsiranai Home Based Care
Home-based care programmes, such as those provided by Zimbabwe Women Against AIDS, Poverty and Violence Trust, and Batsiranai Home Based Care, are often the only source of support for people living with HIV and AIDS and those who care for them in deteriorating economic conditions and a crumbling health system in Zimbabwe. These programs rely on hundreds of volunteer caregivers who work with minimal resources and are often poor, have large families or are living with HIV.
See a slideshow of home-based care in Zimbabwe, from Oxfam Australia.
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