Government has moved to allay fears over access to HIV treatment among Zimbabweans returning from South Africa, assuring them that the country has adequate systems to ensure uninterrupted access to antiretroviral therapy (ART).
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said returnees arriving without medication or who had interrupted treatment were being identified, assessed and provided with temporary treatment supplies before being linked to health facilities in their areas of residence.
The clarification follows a recent Health Policy Watch article, “Zimbabweans Fleeing Xenophobia in South Africa Battle to Get HIV Medicine Back Home,” which raised concerns over access to HIV medicines among Zimbabweans returning from South Africa amid reports of xenophobia.
“Zimbabwe has the capacity and mechanisms to provide ART and ensure continuity of HIV care for returning clients,” said the ministry.
“Health services have been established at points of entry, including the Beitbridge Reception and Support Centre, where returnees are screened for HIV, hypertension, diabetes and communicable diseases before being referred for further care where necessary.”
As of August 24, the Beitbridge centre had screened 42 501 Government-assisted and self-repatriated returnees, highlighting the scale of the health response at the border.
The ministry said no deaths had been recorded at the reception centre, with screening, referral and treatment-support services remaining operational.
“Where clinically appropriate, an immediate treatment bridge is provided, while the client is linked to a health facility in their district of residence for continued ART, clinical assessment and monitoring,” the ministry said.
The temporary medication supplied at the point of entry is intended to prevent treatment interruptions while patients are connected to long-term care and is not a replacement for the national ART programme.
Zimbabwe has about 1.23 million people receiving ART, representing approximately 95 percent of people living with HIV, according to the ministry.
Government, supported by health partners, continues to provide medicines, health personnel and referral services to returning citizens.
The ministry acknowledged that some individuals may have experienced treatment interruptions before or during their return but said such cases were being addressed through existing screening and continuity-of-care mechanisms.
“The priority is to identify clients early, provide an appropriate treatment bridge where required, and ensure successful linkage to their local health facility for uninterrupted long-term care,” the ministry said.
The ministry said returning Zimbabweans living with HIV would be integrated into the national ART programme and continue receiving treatment through the country’s established health system.
