2 Bulawayo suburbs flagged as HIV hotspots

The National AIDS Council (NAC) says it has identified Old Magwegwe and Old Pumula high-density suburbs as areas with comparatively higher HIV prevalence rates, attributing the trend largely to socio-economic conditions such as overcrowding and low-cost accommodation.

Speaking during a media engagement programme at Silwane Youth Centre in Old Pumula, NAC Magwegwe district coordinator Kenneth Ncube said the identification of hotspots is based on programme data, testing outcomes, and community-level interventions.

"If you go to our registers, you will find that these are the areas with bigger HIV prevalence. You can tell from the attendance registers who the people we are supporting are and where they are coming from," Ncube said.

He said this was further supported by ongoing community HIV testing initiatives, which continue to record positive cases from the identified suburbs.

"We are testing people, we are getting HIV-positive cases, and they are coming from those areas. That directs us to say those are our hotspots," he said.

Ncube said NAC initially prioritises identified high-risk areas before scaling up interventions to other communities.

"Those are the areas where we thought our interventions would have a stronger impact before we spread to other locations," he said.

He stressed that the higher prevalence rates were not necessarily linked to the age of the suburbs, but rather to population density and socio-economic conditions.

"It has nothing to do with them being old locations. It is more about the higher population density and the kind of social conditions found there," Ncube said.

According to NAC, overcrowded areas with cheaper accommodation often attract residents facing economic hardship, which can increase vulnerability to HIV infection due to limited access to services, prevention tools, and economic opportunities.

"So if you have a higher density of population, you also tend to have cheaper accommodation, and that attracts a certain class of people who may be more vulnerable due to economic hardships and limited access to services," he explained.

Ncube said the findings are being used to guide targeted prevention campaigns, treatment support, and awareness programmes aimed at reducing new infections and improving health outcomes in affected communities.

NAC says it remains committed to strengthening community-based interventions as part of Zimbabwe's broader goal of controlling and eventually reducing HIV prevalence nationwide.