Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that his country has cut its poverty rate by nearly half since 1995.
Mnangagwa shared the statistics on Tuesday at the World Summit for Social Development.
This development marks one of Africa’s most remarkable achievements in poverty reduction in recent decades.
Mnagagwa speaks on Zimbabwe’s poverty eradication
Addressing the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Mnangagwa said that between 1995 and 2019, Zimbabwe slashed poverty rate by half.
He added that primary school enrolment reached 88 percent, representing dramatic improvements in living standards for millions of Zimbabweans.
“On Poverty Eradication: Zimbabwe has made headway towards reducing poverty and improving access to education, healthcare and social protection. Poverty levels declined from 62 percent in 1995 to 38,3 percent in 2019.
Primary school enrolment has risen to 88 percent while adult literacy is 93,6 percent and life expectancy is at 64,7 years,” the President told the Summit.
The announcement comes as Zimbabwe pushes for global support to secure a UN Security Council seat and reform financial systems.
Zimbabwe’s push for equality: From classrooms to healthcare
Mnangagwa said despite facing challenges such as climate change and punitive economic sanctions, Zimbabwe is recording progress.
The president spoke about smart agriculture policies and programmes that have helped alleviating poverty.
He highlighted on Government financed programmes such as the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam). This programme benefits over 1.5 million learners annually, including children with disabilities.
He also mentioned Health Assistance Fund, which ensures access to healthcare for vulnerable citizens. .
“In Zimbabwe, our national commitment is informed by the Constitution, which enshrines equality, social justice and the right to development.
“These principles are operationalised through Vision 2030 and our national development blueprint (National Development Strategy). They are also reflected in our foreign policy of Engagement and Re-engagement, which is grounded in sovereign equality, peaceful co-operation, solidarity and mutual respect among nations.”
