Political reform in Zimbabwe has been slow and insufficient, despite a new draft constitution and the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), which was signed in 2008. There has been no end to political violence and discrimination, including against the white minority and gay rights activists. The Zimbabwean government was also accused of reintroducing youth militias to create fear among political opponents prior to the 2013 elections.

In February 2012, the governor of Mazvingo province suspended 29 NGOs providing services ranging from food aid to assisting people with disabilities, for failing to register with his office. While the governor lacked the legal authority to do this, his action caused fears of a crackdown on NGOs similar to the one that preceded elections in 2008.

Health

Meanwhile, a combination of unpredictable rainfall and limited access to seeds and fertilizers caused the number of people in need of food aid to rise by 60 per cent, making more people vulnerable to illness due to malnutrition.

Zimbabwe is expected to fall short of most of its health-related MDGs. The number of maternal deaths has more than doubled since 1990, and the under-five mortality rate increased from 79 per 1,000 in 1990 to 94 per 1,000 in 2009.

However, Zimbabwe has reduced its HIV/AIDS prevalence rate from 23.7 per cent in 2001 to 14.3 per cent in 2010 and is likely to reach this MDG target. While the government has run significant awareness campaigns, including an event in June 2012 when 44 members of the Zimbabwean parliament were circumcised, gender inequality still hinders the effectiveness of HIV campaigns.

Globally, the country ranks 17 out of 22 high-burden tuberculosis countries. The incident rate rose from 97 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 782 per 100,000 in 2007. According to government statistics, more people from Matabeleland are dying from tuberculosis than in any other area of Zimbabwe. Matabeleland is the homeland of the Ndebele minority and has been particularly affected by drought. Up to 18 per cent of patients in Matabeleland North province and 14 per cent in Matabeleland South province die while on tuberculosis treatment.

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