October 29, 2007

What Constitutes “Universal Care” in Zimbabwe?

Officials in Zimbabwe say the country is poised to meet the United Nations’ goal of achieving universal access to HIV medication, treatment and care by 2010. The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare reports that it is well on its way to treating 140,000 people living with HIV/AIDS by year’s end (allafrica.com/The Herald, 10/26).

“More than 80 percent of our target population are already on ARVs,” says Dr. Owen Mugurungi, head of the AIDS and Tuberculosis Unit in Zimbabwe’s health ministry. “If we double our efforts in the next two months that means we might surpass the set target.” However, like in many other African countries, local health care workers in Zimbabwe view 100 percent access to care as a challenge; as a result, health officials in Zimbabwe are funneling their efforts into meeting more achievable district targets and have considered lowering the goal to 75 percent.

Organizations such as the Zimbabwe AIDS Network have found several flaws in the country’s AIDS strategy and hardly share the optimism of health ministry officials. Zimbabwe previously failed to meet the requirements of the World Health Organization’s 3 by 5 Initiative, which aimed to provide treatments to 3 million people by 2005.