Online Reporter
Tanaka Nkala, Chronicle Writer
ONCE ranked among Zimbabwe’s provinces with the highest HIV prevalence, Bulawayo has achieved a major public health milestone after successfully meeting the 95-95-95 targets, a breakthrough that health officials say marks a turning point in the city’s fight against the pandemic.
The UNAids targets require that 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 95 percent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
Speaking during the provincial World Aids Day commemorations held at Stanley Square on Friday, city health officials said the accomplishment follows years of intensified HIV awareness campaigns, strengthened community engagement and expanded access to testing and treatment services.
National Aids Council Programmes Officer for Bulawayo Province,, said this year’s World Aids Day theme underscores the need to ensure uninterrupted access to HIV prevention and treatment services.
“This year’s theme, ‘Overcoming disruption, transforming the Aids response’, honours the lives lost to Aids-related illnesses and stands in solidarity with the estimated 76 608 people currently living with HIV in the province,” he said.
“World Aids Day is not about history alone, it gives hope, honours the past, confronts the present and shapes a future where HIV and Aids are no longer a threat to humanity.”
Key strategies credited for Bulawayo’s success include mobile testing units, youth-friendly services and routine HIV screening in health facilities. Civil society organisations also played a crucial role in reaching high-risk populations.
Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director, Dr Maphios Siamuchembu, applauded the health sector for meeting the 95-95-95 targets, saying the success was not accidental but the result of strong collaboration.
“It is the result of communities, health workers, Government and partners walking together hand in hand with determination and compassion,” said Dr Siamuchembu.
“Zimbabwe has been selected among 10 countries to access Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable drug taken twice a year.”
He emphasised that the fight against stigma remains critical, as it continues to hinder progress towards HIV elimination.
“Stigma drives silence, fear and delayed care. We must speak openly, support one another and replace judgement with empathy,” he said.
Dr Siamuchembu also urged young people to desist from risky sexual behaviour and nightlife, encouraging them to focus on their education as they are the future leaders.
The National Aids Council, Zimbos Abantu Mobile Clinic and other organisations provided free HIV testing services to the community during the commemorations.
For a city that once carried one of the heaviest HIV burdens, Bulawayo’s latest achievement stands as a powerful reminder that with an informed community and strong health services, even the toughest public health challenges can be overcome.
