AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - Every 15 minutes a child dies of AIDS, one out of every 8 babies dies at birth. Precarious health structures: food shortage threatens more than 55% of the country’s 12 million people

Rome (Fides Service) - Every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe a child dies of AIDS. According to UNICEF since 1990 the mortality rate among children under 5 has increased by 50% and one out of every 8 babies dies at birth. A UNICEF report said that in Zimbabwe one out of every five children is an orphan and that 160,000 children will lose a parent in 2005.
Because of precarious health situation and inadequate medical structures, Zimbabwe represents a latent threat of contagion for the region of southern Africa. In Zimbabwe people can expect to live no longer than 33 years.
The country was once the granary of Africa but since 2000 it has been totally dependent on World Food Programme aid and today more than 55% of its population of 12 million is threatened with hunger.
Inflation has risen 600% in recent years and increasing scarcity of food and essential products for the economy of the country such as fuel and electricity, has led to millions of unemployed, between 70% and 80% of the active population. Due to sudden and rapid impoverishment of the country in the last five years, all social structures have been destroyed, particularly schools and health care services.
This had led to doctors and nurses en masse to emigrate to other countries, aggravating the already chaotic situation in hospitals in Zimbabwe. (AP) (18/3/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:23; Parole:280)