Life expectancy in Zimbabwe has risen by four years to 65, with women, as usual, expected to live longer than men.
The figure was revealed during the recent Public Service Commission Retirement Conference in Bulawayo, which drew nearly 2,500 delegates.
The conference covered a range of issues affecting civil servants’ welfare and included talks and presentations designed to help the workforce prepare for life after retirement.
Speaking on health and wellness in retirement, Acting Director of Policy Planning and Health Economics at the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Tinotenda Kadzere, said the rise in life expectancy is a key sign of progress in the sector. Said Kadzere:
“Despite the challenges we face, our life expectancy in 2021 was around 61 at the onset of NDS1. A recent study shows that it has now improved to an average of 65.
“A four-year increase over such a short period is no small feat. It shows we are becoming healthier as a nation.”
Kadzere noted that women’s life expectancy is higher than men’s, with females expected to reach 67 years. He said:
“This shows that Zimbabwe is on track to achieve Vision 2030. Women are just three years away from the target life expectancy of 70 years for an upper-middle-income country, while men still have some ground to cover.
“In Africa, the average life expectancy is around 63 years. Countries like Algeria and Cape Verde are at 75, while others like Chad are at 58. We believe Zimbabwe is heading in the right direction.”
Kadzere outlined the top 10 causes of death in Zimbabwe, which include HIV and AIDS, influenza and pneumonia, road traffic accidents, coronary heart disease, diarrhoeal diseases in children under five, low birth weight, stroke, severe underweight in under-fives, birth trauma, and diabetes mellitus.
He stressed that further gains in life expectancy will require greater investment in the health sector to prevent and treat diseases more effectively.
Kadzere noted that funding for health remains below the 15% target set by the Abuja Declaration and falls short of the Ministry’s budget request for 2025.
He also revealed that maternal mortality rates have dropped from 615 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015 to 212 in 2024, bringing the country closer to the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 per 100,000.
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