Zimbabwe has renewed its commitment to ending HIV as a public health threat, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa emphasising that expanding access to prevention and treatment remains central to the national health strategy. He made the remarks in recognition of World AIDS Day, commemorated globally every 1 December since 1988.
President Mnangagwa said the day serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility to fight HIV and AIDS, honour progress made, and strengthen efforts to reduce new infections.
“HIV remains a public health priority, and my government will continue mobilising the resources necessary to protect the gains we have made over the years,” he said.
Zimbabwe has recorded major achievements in its fight against HIV. Over the past decade, new infections have dropped by more than 80%, while national HIV prevalence has declined from 14% to 11%. Treatment access has expanded significantly across the country.
“This year we commemorate this day with immense pride. Zimbabwe reached the global 95-95-95 targets in 2022 and has now surpassed them,” he said.
“Today, 97 percent of people living with HIV know their status, over 95 percent are on life-saving antiretroviral therapy, and 96 percent of those on treatment are virally suppressed.”
He said the achievements reflect strong leadership, commitment from health workers and communities, and the country’s determination to end AIDS as a public health threat.
“These gains assure us that Zimbabwe is on the path towards ending AIDS,” he added.
This year’s World AIDS Day commemorations runs under the theme “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response.”
President Mnangagwa acknowledged the impact of declining global funding at a time when health systems are still recovering from the effects of COVID-19 and battling new pressures such as non-communicable diseases, Mpox, climate-related health emergencies and other outbreaks.
“Global funding has declined at a time when demands on our health system have increased,” he said.
Despite the funding challenges, the President said the government is prioritising domestic resource mobilisation to sustain progress.
“Government remains committed to mobilising domestic resources to ensure no one is left behind. We are transforming our response from dependency to self-determination,” he said.
“The National AIDS Trust Fund has continued to provide a predictable and sustainable resource base.”
He added that government is in the process of integrating HIV services into primary healthcare to improve accessibility.
“We are integrating HIV services into primary healthcare so that testing, treatment and advanced care are accessible at every level,” he said.
Outlining the roadmap for the years ahead, the President said sustaining progress will require expanding prevention and treatment services, strengthening integration with other health programmes, reducing gender inequalities, tackling stigma and safeguarding financial sustainability.
“As we look ahead, our focus is clear: expand access to prevention and treatment; integrate HIV services with other interventions; address stigma and inequalities; and ensure sustainability through domestic resource mobilisation,” he said.
“HIV will remain a public health priority as part of our broader pursuit of universal health coverage.”
Zimbabwe’s health financing philosophy of promoting “more money for health and more health for the money” continues to guide efforts to build a resilient, equitable health system capable of protecting and advancing the gains made in HIV prevention and treatment.
