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Bulawayo records major HIV decline
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Bulawayo has delivered a rare piece of good news in Zimbabwe's long fight against HIV, recording a 44% drop in new infections since 2020, according to the National Aids Council's (NAC) 2025 HIV Estimate Report.
From 2020 to 2024, more than 3 000 people living with HIV in the province were added to treatment, while antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage climbed from 87,5% to an impressive 98,3%. Over the same period, new infections fell from 1 016 to just 567.
Health officials say the decline is the result of expanded prevention campaigns, improved access to treatment, and sustained community education. "These are not just numbers," one NAC official said. "They represent lives saved, families preserved and futures secured."
But the NAC report also warns that these hard-won gains remain fragile. The withdrawal of United States aid support for 2025 has raised fears that funding cuts, donor fatigue and Zimbabwe's economic instability could reverse progress.
Public health experts note that Zimbabwe has celebrated milestones before, only to see them eroded when momentum faltered. They stress the need to maintain widespread testing, continue dismantling stigma, and guarantee uninterrupted ART supplies.
The report also underscores the broader challenge: while external aid has been crucial, Zimbabwe must invest more of its own resources into health. Hospitals across the country are underfunded, short of staff, and struggling with drug shortages. Meanwhile, millions continue to be spent on luxury vehicles for officials and patronage projects.
"The lesson is clear: aid can kick-start progress, but it cannot sustain it forever," the report cautions.
As Bulawayo's success shows, focused strategies can bend the curve of the epidemic even in resource-constrained environments. The real test will be whether Zimbabwe can lock in these gains by strengthening local health systems — and whether other provinces can replicate Bulawayo's progress.
From 2020 to 2024, more than 3 000 people living with HIV in the province were added to treatment, while antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage climbed from 87,5% to an impressive 98,3%. Over the same period, new infections fell from 1 016 to just 567.
Health officials say the decline is the result of expanded prevention campaigns, improved access to treatment, and sustained community education. "These are not just numbers," one NAC official said. "They represent lives saved, families preserved and futures secured."
But the NAC report also warns that these hard-won gains remain fragile. The withdrawal of United States aid support for 2025 has raised fears that funding cuts, donor fatigue and Zimbabwe's economic instability could reverse progress.
Public health experts note that Zimbabwe has celebrated milestones before, only to see them eroded when momentum faltered. They stress the need to maintain widespread testing, continue dismantling stigma, and guarantee uninterrupted ART supplies.
The report also underscores the broader challenge: while external aid has been crucial, Zimbabwe must invest more of its own resources into health. Hospitals across the country are underfunded, short of staff, and struggling with drug shortages. Meanwhile, millions continue to be spent on luxury vehicles for officials and patronage projects.
"The lesson is clear: aid can kick-start progress, but it cannot sustain it forever," the report cautions.
As Bulawayo's success shows, focused strategies can bend the curve of the epidemic even in resource-constrained environments. The real test will be whether Zimbabwe can lock in these gains by strengthening local health systems — and whether other provinces can replicate Bulawayo's progress.
Source - Newsday
