Zimbabwe has made significant progress in reducing infant and child mortality, with health authorities crediting routine vaccination as a key factor in this improvement.
At an event in Harare to mark the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Minister of Health and Child Care Dr. Douglas Mombeshora highlighted the life-saving impact of vaccines, saying they help prevent six deaths every minute. He noted that neonatal and under-five mortality rates have been steadily decreasing, in part due to vaccinations and improved maternal health services.
According to the UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), the neonatal mortality rate in Zimbabwe has fallen from 33 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2008 to 24.26 deaths per 1,000 in 2022. Similarly, the under-five mortality rate has fallen from 93.33 per 1,000 in 2008 to 47.73 per 1,000 in 2022.
Minister of Health and Child Care Dr. Aspect Maunganidze attributed this progress to the national vaccination programme supported by international partners such as Gavi, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Investments in health infrastructure, skilled personnel and outreach programmes have played a key role in expanding vaccine access.
Village health workers such as Tariro Makahamadze have been instrumental in raising awareness of antenatal and postnatal care. Many mothers, including Miriam Munyikwa from Buhera, shared how vaccination and health education have helped save the lives of their children.
The government is committed to increasing vaccination coverage, especially in remote areas. Dr. Maunganidze reaffirmed that efforts will continue to ensure every child, regardless of location, receives life-saving vaccines, helping Zimbabwe move closer to eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases.