Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke, Senior Health Reporter
GOVERNMENT has taken proactive steps to ensure continuity of HIV treatment for thousands of Zimbabweans dependent on life-saving medication, with the procurement of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs for early next year already underway to avert potential shortages.
This comes on the back of reduced external funding, particularly from the United States Government.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said Zimbabwe had adequate ARV stocks to last until the end of December this year and has already started planning for the next phase of procurement to prevent any supply gaps in the first half of next year.
“We had stocks from the beginning of the year, which were lasting up to the end of June, and when the Trump executive order came into effect, we took steps as Government to make sure that we cover the gap. We made orders using two companies to provide more ARVs.
“Those stocks are now in place to cover us up to the end of the year. We can assure the nation that we have got enough stocks of ARVs up to December.
“We are now working on a plan to start procuring before they run out so that we also cover the next six months from January to June 2026,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora added that while delivery of new ARV consignments was still underway, progress had been made.
“Not all the deliveries have been completed, but we started receiving the medicines about three or four weeks ago, and we are hoping that by the end of the first or second week of July, all deliveries will have been completed,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora said advance procurement was essential to avoid treatment interruptions, which could lead to drug resistance and undermine progress in the national HIV response.
The intervention follows concerns over the long-term sustainability of Zimbabwe’s HIV response after the United States Government, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar), announced major policy shifts that have affected funding flows.
The changes stem from an Executive Order by US President Donald Trump’s administration, to restrict foreign aid from being used by various organisations.
The policy change has affected many global health implementing partners, some of whom were key to the country’s HIV supply chain and programming.
As a result, some programme budgets were scaled down or realigned, prompting the Government of Zimbabwe to increase its own procurement efforts.
Zimbabwe has one of the highest HIV treatment coverage rates in sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 1,3 million people on antiretroviral therapy.
The majority of these have historically benefitted from donor-funded programmes.
However, experts have warned that reliance on external funding leaves the programme vulnerable to geopolitical decisions beyond the country’s control.
Dr Mombeshora emphasised that going forward, the Government will prioritise local procurement and broaden partnerships to ensure resilience within the HIV response.
“Our plan is to maintain sufficient buffer stock and procure in advance to avoid any disruptions. We will not wait until stocks run out,” he said.
