Zimbabwe remains on track to end Aids by 2030 despite reduced financial support from some international development partners, including the United States gover...
Zimbabwe remains on track to end Aids by 2030 despite reduced financial support from some international development partners, including the United States government, according to the National Aids Council (NAC).
The council says it is strengthening HIV prevention programmes and increasing reliance on domestic funding sources such as the Aids Levy to sustain the national HIV response. Officials say these measures will help ensure that progress made over the years is maintained even as some donors reduce their contributions to health programmes.
Advertisement
Speaking during a media engagement meeting in Bulawayo yesterday, NAC provincial manager Sinatra Nyathi said Zimbabwe was now in the final stages of its journey towards ending Aids as a public health threat by 2030. She said efforts were being intensified to ensure that all communities benefit from HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes.
Nyathi acknowledged that some development partners had withdrawn funding, particularly support linked to the United States government. However, she said Zimbabwe would continue implementing HIV and Aids programmes through local resources and assistance from other remaining partners.
She said the council was prioritising high-impact and cost-effective interventions that can deliver meaningful results while operating within available resources. These include programmes aimed at eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, reducing new HIV infections, promoting condom use and encouraging behaviour change among communities.
“I believe that four decades into the epidemic, people know and have information, but we now need behaviour change,” said Nyathi.
She said Zimbabwe’s greatest strength in the fight against HIV was its people. Nyathi encouraged communities to continue sharing accurate information about HIV prevention, treatment and care in order to reduce new infections and support national health goals.
According to Nyathi, the country has also recorded significant progress in HIV treatment programmes. She said Zimbabwe has surpassed the global UNAids 95-95-95 targets for adults living with HIV. The targets require that at least 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed receive antiretroviral therapy and 95 percent of those receiving treatment achieve viral suppression.
Despite these achievements, Nyathi said challenges remain, particularly among children. She noted that efforts are continuing to identify HIV-positive children as early as possible, place them on life-saving treatment and ensure that they achieve viral suppression. Health officials believe addressing gaps in paediatric HIV care will be critical in achieving the country’s 2030 target.
Nyathi said treatment remains one of the most effective HIV prevention strategies. She explained that people living with HIV who consistently take antiretroviral medication and achieve viral suppression are much less likely to transmit the virus to others. As a result, expanding access to treatment and improving adherence remain important pillars of Zimbabwe’s HIV response strategy.
She also called on media organisations and journalists to continue providing accurate and responsible information about HIV and Aids. Nyathi said the media plays a key role in educating the public, fighting misinformation and encouraging people to access testing, treatment and prevention services.
Zimbabwe’s efforts to strengthen domestic health financing come at a time when discussions over international funding have attracted attention. In February, Zimbabwe withdrew from negotiations on a proposed bilateral health memorandum of understanding with the United States. The proposed agreement would have unlocked US$367 million over five years to support health programmes focused on HIV and Aids, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and disease outbreak preparedness.
According to the United States government, the proposed memorandum represented the largest potential health investment in Zimbabwe by any international funder. The agreement was based on a co-funding model intended to promote sustainability and greater self-reliance by requiring Zimbabwe to gradually increase its own contribution to health financing alongside support from the United States.
The United States said the proposal built on more than US$1.9 billion in health assistance provided to Zimbabwe since 2006. That support contributed significantly to strengthening the country’s health sector and helped Zimbabwe achieve its UNAids 95-95-95 targets. Despite the withdrawal from the negotiations, Zimbabwean health authorities maintain that the country remains committed to achieving its HIV and Aids targets through a combination of local funding, prevention programmes, treatment services and community participation.
As the country moves towards its 2030 goal, health officials say continued investment in HIV prevention, early diagnosis, treatment access and public awareness will be essential. With progress already recorded in adult treatment outcomes and renewed focus on children and vulnerable populations, Zimbabwe believes it remains firmly on course to end Aids as a public health threat within the next few years.
