UNDP hails remarkable achievement in HIV treatment in Zimbabwe

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe, one of the countries most affected by the HIV epidemic, is now providing antiretroviral treatment to 1 million people, which is a remarkable achievement, said the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday.

In 2005, just 12,000 people living with HIV in Zimbabwe had access to life-saving HIV treatment, it noted.

This considerable progress is the result of a determined effort to scale up the HIV response over the last decade and the government's strong commitment with support from development partners, said the UNDP in a press release.

While HIV remains a major health challenge in Zimbabwe, with 1.3 million people living with HIV at the end of 2016, the dramatic scale-up of the HIV response is remarkable. Due to access to antiretroviral treatment, more than 49,000 deaths were averted in 2016 alone and 393,000 deaths have been averted since 2006 in the country.

The decline of life expectancy in Zimbabwe, which dropped to 41 years in 2003, has also been reversed, reaching 61 years in 2015.

"Zimbabwe has made great strides in increasing access to treatment. This new milestone means that 1 million people living with HIV are now able to live longer, healthier and more productive lives," said Bishow Parajuli, UN resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative in Zimbabwe. Enditem