The Relationship between HIV/AIDS and Maternal Mortality: The Zimbabwean Case

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PART 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.3 THESIS
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5 METHODOLOGY

2. PART 2: OVERVIEW OF MATERNAL MORTALITY AND HIV/AIDS PREVALENCE IN ZIMBABWE
2.1 MATERNAL MORTALITY IN ZIMBABWE
2.1.1 Patterns of Maternal Mortality in Zimbabwe
2.1.2 Government’s Initiatives to Curtail Maternal Mortality
2.2 ZIMBABWE’S HIV/AIDS RATE
2.2.1 Patterns of HIV/AIDS Prevalence Rate Among Pregnant Women
2.2.2 Government’s Initiatives to Combat HIV/AIDS
2.3 ANALYSIS OF HIV/AIDS AS A CAUSE FOR MATERNAL DEATHS

3. PART 3: CAUSES OF MATERNAL MORTALITY OTHER THAN HIV/AIDS
3.1 SOCIAL, RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL FACTORS
3.1.1 Religious Factors
3.1.2 Social and Cultural Factors
3.1.3 Abortion
3.2 ECONOMIC FACTORS
3.2.1 Transport
3.2.2 Unwanted Pregnancies
3.2.3 Shortage of Health Workers
3.2.4 Nutritional Factors
3.3 HEALTH RELATED FACTORS
3.3.1 Sub-Optimal Management of hospitals
3.3.2 Hemorrhage

4. PART 4: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT

One of the major fundamental principles of modern development theories is the acknowledgement that HIV/AIDS is at the root of high levels of maternal mortality in third world countries and that a decrease in HIV/AIDS should correspond directly with a decline in maternal mortality statistics. This is premised on the assumption that, it is a reflection of positive development, where development as a field of analysis is concerned. Whereas this principle fits in most of the development situations across the third world, it does not seem to apply in the case of Zimbabwe. Health statistics in Zimbabwe reflect that while HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among the adult population has declined over the years (from 26.5% in 2002 to 13.7% in 2009), maternal mortality ratio has increased (from 283 per 100 000 live births in 1994 to 1300 per 100 000 live births in 2009) as revealed by the Central Statistical Report (2010) and the Zimbabwe 2004 MDG Report. Given this, Zimbabwe is therefore unlikely to meet its Millennium Development Goal Number 5 target,

The trends can be illustrated by the diagrams below:

DIAGRAM 1: MATERNAL MORTALITY TRENDS IN ZIMBABWE

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Source: Zimbabwe Central Statistical Office (2010)

DIAGRAM 2: TRENDS IN HIV/AIDS PREVALENCE RATE IN ZIMBABWE

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Source: Zimbabwe Central Statistical Office (2010)

1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

This research paper therefore, seeks to investigate the trends illustrated above in the following manner:

(i) To study the HIV/AIDS trends among the female fertile age group in Zimbabwe.
(ii) To explore the other social, economic, political, and cultural factors that cause maternal mortality other than HIV/AIDS.
(iii) To examine in general the relationship between HIV/AIDS decrease and maternal mortality fluctuations.
(iv) To provide policy recommendations to deal with the alarming rate of increase of maternal mortality.

1.3 THESIS

A decline in HIV/AIDS cases does not always imply a decline in maternal mortality Rate. There are several other explanations for high maternal mortality in third world countries.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The main question this study seeks to answer is why maternal mortality is not decreasing and yet HIV/AIDS is decreasing? There are other questions which are answered in this analysis among which include the following:-

i. What is the situation of HIV/AIDS among the female fertile age group in Zimbabwe (15 to 49 years)?
ii. To what extend is HIV/AIDS a determinant factor for maternal mortality in Zimbabwe?
iii. What are the other causes of maternal mortality other than HIV/AIDS? To what extend do these factors lead to maternal deaths?
iv. What is the best strategy of dealing with maternal mortality in Zimbabwe?

1.5 METHODOLOGY

Secondary sources of data were used in this study among which include Zimbabwe’s HIV/AIDS reports, Zimbabwe’s maternal mortality reports, Articles for related topics by World Health Organization, UNAIDS, UN and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and literature on related subjects, reports, published articles, journals and publications. Sex disaggregated data was mainly used in this study with both qualitative and quantitative research being employed through a historical comparative analysis.

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