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Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
The advent of anti-retroviral drugs has impacted positively on the country’s population growth and increased life expectancy, consultants analysing the 2012 national census have said.

Speaking to participants attending the official launch of three thematic reports on population projections, mortality, fertility and marriages in Harare recently, a consultant who analysed mortality trends in the past three decades, Dr Henry Chikova said the number of deaths have decreased due to availability of prolonging antiretroviral drugs.

Dr Chikova said Zimbabwe’s mortality rates worsened between 1992 and 2002 but are now improving, a development he attributed to availability of antiretroviral drugs.

“A historical analysis of death trends in relation to HIV and Aids deaths shows that the death trend conforms to developments of the HIV/AIDS condition in Zimbabwe. A cursory look at the population structure showed a bulge in the middle age groups— reflecting the impact of HIV and Aids deaths on the population,” he said.

The number of women who die due to pregnancy or related complications decreased to about five women dying every day down from an estimated 10 women. The number of deaths of children under the age of five years also dropped from a high of 102 deaths in every 1000 live births to 75 per 1000 live births.

Dr Chikova said life expectancy declined between 1992 and 2002 and then increased between 2002 and 2012.

Life expectancy has since increased from an average of 44 years for both sexes to about 61 years.

“The decline in life expectancy during the inter-census period 1992 to 2002 is attributed to Aids-related deaths and the improvement between 2002 and 2012 is attributed to the availability of ARVs, which meant that people could live longer with the virus than before. In fact life expectancy increased by 16, 5 years between the two censuses,” he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, Professor Marvelous Mhloyi who analysed trends on the average number of children born per women and the number of women in marriages reiterated the impact of ARVs on the country’s population growth.

Professor Mhloyi said marriage was used as an indicator for population growth since most women in marriages tend to bear more children compared to single women.

She however said the number of widowed women increased by 81 percent between 1992 and 2002 — a scenario she attributed to the effects of HIV and Aids, which in turn impacted negatively on population growth. She said although men also lost their spouses during this period, most of them went on to re-marry younger women increasing the risk of women contracting HIV.

“Given the implied high levels of remarriages among men, there is urgent need to educate the public about the need for HIV testing before consummation of any marriage, indeed before the first sexual act with a new partner whose status is unknown,” she said.

About 1,2 million people are estimated to be living with HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe, 34 percent of which do not know their status.