Covid-19: Health worker strikes, limited testing, and clinic closures hamper Zimbabwe's response.

Abstract

Official figures on the impact of covid-19 in Zimbabwe belie a country grappling with health worker strikes, limited testing, and a closure of health facilities. The country had had 141 deaths from covid-19 and 5378 recorded cases as of 20 August, nearly five months after the first fatality ‪on 23 March. The people infected include 480 health workers, said the Ministry of Health.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬1‬‬ At 14%, the weekly percentage increase in infections in Zimbabwe from 5 to 11 August is also much lower than ‬that of its neighbours. Botswana saw an increase of 33%, Namibia 31%, Zambia 26%, and Mozambique 22% in the same week, figures from the World Health Organization showed.2 Chiratidzo Ndhlovu, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Zimbabwe, believes that …