Online Reporter
Prosper Ndlovu in Bubi District
THE National AIDS Council (NAC) is intensifying efforts to curb new HIV infections among female sex workers in Bubi District, Matabeleland North province, through its “Key Populations Programme”, a targeted intervention designed to reach groups most vulnerable to HIV infection.
Bubi District, located about 65 kilometres north of Bulawayo, is one of Matabeleland North Province’s mining hubs, with numerous large-scale, artisanal and small-scale gold mining operations.
According to the 2025 National HIV Estimates, the district has an HIV population of 8 202 people, comprising 3 368 males and 4 834 females.
The district’s mining activities have attracted a highly mobile population, creating hotspots around mines, business centres and growth points where transactional sex and other high-risk behaviours are common.
HIV drivers in the district include transactional sex, concurrent sexual partnerships, spousal separation, and the incorrect and inconsistent use of condoms.
Female sex workers remain among the most affected populations due to their increased exposure to HIV, gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, stigma and discrimination.
These challenges often limit their access to critical health services, while their mobility makes it difficult to retain them in HIV prevention and treatment programmes.
In response, NAC is implementing a dedicated “Key Populations Programme” that focuses on meaningful engagement with female sex workers, preventing new HIV infections and strengthening linkages to essential health services.
“Currently we have 20 active key populations peer educators in the district that are covering a number of areas that we are implementing in.
“We have a case load of 326 sex workers that are enrolled. These were enrolled during the first quarter of 2026 in our case loads,” said Ms Nombeko Mlalazi, NAC Bubi District Aids Coordinator.
She was speaking in an interview at Mahamba area in Bubi District where beneficiaries of the programme shared their experiences and reflections on initiatives under the KP programme which include non-communicable diseases programming, drug and substance abuse, and economic strengthening.
Through peer-led outreach, HIV testing services, condom distribution, sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment, and access to HIV prevention tools such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), the programme is helping vulnerable women protect themselves against HIV infection.
The intervention is also addressing barriers that have historically prevented sex workers from seeking healthcare by creating safe, non-discriminatory spaces where they can access services and information without fear of stigma.
As the district continues to battle an HIV epidemic largely concentrated around mining communities, the NAC Key Populations Programme is proving to be a critical tool in reaching those most at risk, reducing new infections, and ensuring that female sex workers are not left behind in Zimbabwe’s fight against HIV and AIDS.
The programme is appropriately placed to complement Government priorities towards ending AIDS by 2030 and is aligned to the Zimbabwe National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan (ZNASP- 2015-2020) and the National Populations Implementation Plan 2019-2020.
