It is also known, according to UNICEF, that this figure means that Zimbabwe has the highest number of orphans as a % of its population through AIDS than any other country on Earth. As a doctor in Zimbabwe grimly expressed the magnitude of the problem "Put simply, people are dying of AIDS before they can starve to death".

Half of those living with HIV in Zimbabwe become infected during adolescence, and, as such, efforts to combat the spread of AIDS has focussed largely on education, attempting through school programs to influence sexual behaviours that are likely to increase the risk of infection.

A program of anti-viral drugs has also been rolled out, however the poor economy has made widespread distribution too expensive and certainly those living in rural areas, who have poor or limited access to health clinics, rarely benefit from the program with corruption rife as officials insist on bribes to administer the treatment. The World Health Organisation stated in 2010 that some two thirds of those in need of treatment in Zimbabwe weren't receiving it.