• It gives me great pleasure to be part of this High-Level Meeting on the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) & launch of the 2024 State of the World Population Report.
• Almost 30 years after the landmark ICPD conference in Cairo, where we set out to achieve a world in which people lived longer, healthier lives and enjoyed more rights and choices than ever before, we have gathered today to take stock, celebrate our achievements, and reflect on the unfinished business of the ICPD.
• The ICPD fits hand in glove with many of our key national strategies such as the National Development Strategy (NDS 1) and National Health Strategy. It calls for women’s reproductive health and rights to take centre stage in national and global development efforts. It also recognizes that reproductive health and women’s empowerment are intertwined, and that both are necessary for the advancement of our society.
• Today we stand proud as Zimbabwe, as we have been able to score some key achievements on our ICPD commitments. Allow me to recap a few of the major achievements as heard from previous speakers:
  
  • Zimbabwe reduced maternal mortality from 651 in 2010 to 362 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022. In simple terms this means we have reduced the number of women dying due pregnancy and child birth related issues from about 7 to 4 per day. This is a major achievement and is a result of government and its partners investment in strengthening the health system in Zimbabwe and is also an affirmation to our commitment to ensure that no women should die while giving life. We need to continue in this positive trajectory.
  • The government has stepped up budget allocation for family as part of increasing financing for contraceptives using our domestic resources. We have invested USD3million in the last 2 years and have already initiated procurement of contraceptives for this year using government resources. As a result of government commitment and investment, Zimbabwe became the first country under the UNFPA Supplies Global Partnership to receive match funding to complement government’s investment in family planning, as a recognition of investment done by the government. We will continue using national budget processes, increasing domestic financing and exploring new and innovative financing mechanisms to ensure full, effective and accelerated implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. The government is currently working on a national health insurance scheme and this will ensure that we reduce catastrophic health spending by our people.
• Ladies and gentlemen, we however are cognizant that we still have some unfinished business.
  
  • As you may be aware, we are currently grappling with a problem of high adolescent pregnancy. More needs to be done for our adolescent and youth, who constitute the bulk of our population so that we are also able to harness the demographic dividend. Investment in education, health, social development and promoting youth engagement in relevant development and economic issues is paramount. Clearly, we cannot operate in silos as a multi-sectoral approach is needed. All hands should be on the deck.
  • We have been of late been hit by natural disasters; Cyclone Idai, COVID-19 pandemic and are currently grappling with a cholera outbreak and also facing  an El Nino induced drought. We therefore need to continuously work on strengthening our emergency preparedness and response. Government has put in place legal enabling statutes which include the Civil Protection Act, the Public Health Act and Environmental Management Act among others, to create a conducive environment for disaster risk reduction initiatives and for a comprehensive and strategic approach to climate change adaptation, mitigation, financing and environmental education. Let us take advantage of this as we strengthen our emergency preparedness and response and build a resilient health system.
• We cannot talk about ICPD without talking about the population, as the two cannot be separated.  It is therefore very apt or befitting that today as we reflect on our ICPD journey, we are also launching the 2024 State of World Population Report.
• The State of the World Population Report is published every year. It covers and analyses developments and trends in world population and demographics, as well as shedding light on specific population issues and unique challenges we face as the global community.
• The theme for this year’s State of World Population Report is “Interwoven lives, threads of hope – Ending Inequalities in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights”.
• While we have made enormous strides in fulfilling the ICPD agenda, globally millions are still denied their health and rights every day – something that can and must end.
  
  • Around 800 women still die every day while giving birth globally: and sadly, nearly every one of those deaths is preventable. Most of these deaths are in developing countries.
  • Between 2016 and 2020, the global annual reduction in maternal death was effectively zero. So, you can see as Zimbabwe, we have done reasonably well on the fight to reduce maternal mortality.
  • Women and girls with disabilities are up to 10 times more likely to experience gender-based violence, including sexual violence.

• Investments in gender equality and in sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential to securing a more just future.
• Spending $79 billion on family planning and maternal health, is estimated to save 1 million women from maternal death between 2022 and 2050 globally, and also yield about $660 billion in economic benefits. As, Zimbabwe we relate to this. In 2023, 2.1 million women were using modern contraceptives in Zimbabwe and as a result of contraceptive use at total of 2,200 maternal deaths were averted.  In addition an evaluation done by the Ministry of Health, Zimbabwe National Family Planning and partners a decade ago showed that as a result of family planning, Zimbabwe was saving $14.2 million per year in the costs of providing maternal and child healthcare. The evaluation also estimated that achieving family planning goals, had the capacity to increase Zimbabwe’s GDP per capita by 22%.
• The state of World Population report cites that closing the global gender gap in the public, private and social sectors is projected to add $12 trillion to global gross domestic product (GDP) and ending intimate partner violence, which is believed to cost the world 5 per cent of its GDP, would result in immediate and long-term benefits to productivity and earnings, with impacts cascading across generations. But the world is not sufficiently investing in gender equality, empowering women or saving their lives.  
• To ensure that the next 30 years of progress includes everyone, we must pivot towards providing comprehensive, universal and inclusive sexual and reproductive health care and guaranteeing rights for all, regardless of their background. This means designing tailored and targeted health programmes that address the multiple ways economic, social, political and environmental injustice impact people’s health and rights. It also means moving beyond measuring human experiences in broad averages and committing to the collection of disaggregated data across a variety of factors.
• As we launch the State of the World Population report, let us celebrate our achievements as a country and continue to reflect and push on the unfinished business. Together we can make it.
• With these remarks, I officially launch the 2024 State of the World Population Report

Thank You