Political Situation

Political Situation

Aggravation of the conditions

The economy in Zimbabwe has been getting constantly worse for decades, and this has resulted in the highest rate of inflation in the world, a worsening humanitarian situation, a rise in organised violence and restrictions on assembly and freedom of opinion. The international boycott caused by the controversial policies of the governing party in Zimbabwe has led to a very large fall in the amount of financial aid the country receives. Life expectancy has fallen from 61 to 33 years since 1990. During the government campaign called Murambatsvina ("Restoration of order") in 2005, townships were destroyed and about 700,000 people lost their homes. As a result, unofficial townships sprang up, slums like Hopley Farm and Epworth (the project districts) on the outskirts of Harare.

Impact on the health of the people

The people who live in the slums are the ones who are suffering the most in appalling conditions that are only getting worse. Large sections of these areas have no electricity, no sanitation facilities, and no safe drinking water. Most of those who live in these slum districts live below the poverty level of one dollar a day. Not only does this make it harder to find food and water but schooling and health also inevitably suffer. The money for water treatment methods like chlorine, firewood for boiling, or filters, cannot be found. Most of the people who live there get their water from unsafe sources, and secondary contamination is high. Diarrhoea diseases are common, a fresh outbreak of cholera occurred in 2008, the child mortality rate is high and rising. Organised healthcare is poor, and most people cannot afford it. The possible benefit of the SODIS method is therefore very high in these districts.

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