Zimbabwe
Leading cause: Heart Disease · 70% plant-based · 61.5 yr life expectancy · UHC 59/100
What People Eat
Cardiovascular and dietary profile drawn from WHO Global Health Estimates. Plant-based score reflects the share of whole plant foods (grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts) in the typical national diet.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Heart Disease · 158 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Heart disease (158/100k) leads, with a maize-based (sadza) and vegetable diet that stays largely plant-based. Economic crisis, HIV, and a strained health system constrain the 62-year life expectancy more than diet.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- Rebuilding health-system capacity and HIV control are the decisive levers here.
- Protect the traditional sadza-and-vegetable diet as conditions allow.
Explore the evidence: Heart Disease
WHO Global Health Estimates · 2022 · age-standardized country data
→ 158 CVD deaths per 100k · 70% plant-based diet