Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe has reaffirmed its commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, with renewed focus by the National Aids Council to sustain life-saving HIV programmes and meeting global treatment targets despite shifts in international funding.
The country has surpassed the global HIV treatment targets set for 2025, which aim for 95 percent of people living with HIV to know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed to be on treatment and 95 percent of those on treatment to achieve viral suppression.
Speaking at the third annual general meeting of the National AIDS Council (NAC) yesterday, Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr Aspect Maunganidze, who was represented by chief director, Dr Stephen Banda, commended the Council for playing a pivotal role in the national HIV response.
“NAC is our coordinating body for the HIV and AIDS response and plays a pivotal role in the execution of programmes addressing the needs of people under the Ministry of Health and Child Care,” he said.
“Their mandate has empowered them to provide strategic direction, leadership and coordination of the national response to HIV and AIDS, resulting in a notable reduction in the overall burden of the disease.”
Zimbabwe’s HIV response has evolved, said Dr Maunganidze, with NAC integrating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension into its programming.
“This success is largely due to NAC’s active leadership and collaborative partnerships that have kept stakeholders fully engaged.
“They have also swiftly integrated non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, diabetes and hypertension into their agenda, allocating significant resources to these interventions,” he added.
Dr Maunganidze said under the current Global Fund GC7 cycle, Zimbabwe would receive US$508 million, an indication of international confidence in its capacity to deliver high-quality HIV programmes.
NAC board chairperson Mrs Nester Mukwehwa underscored their commitment to achieve the national goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
She said maintaining uninterrupted programmes and securing sustainable funding remain key priorities.
“Our focus remains on ensuring that people living with HIV continue to receive life-saving treatment and support without disruptions.
“We are also working towards sustaining our 95-95-95 targets and pushing beyond
“The top priorities for NAC are to endeavour to achieve our target of ending HIV and AIDS by 2030. Therefore, our main target is to keep our programmes uninterrupted and ensure that the people affected continue receiving support,” she said.
While acknowledging the reduction in donor funding, particularly following the Trump administration’s executive order that led to cuts in support from some partners, Mrs Mukwehwa said NAC had implemented measures to minimise disruption.
“One of the key adjustments has been the reintegration of skilled personnel who were previously supported under partners.
“We have made the decision as a board to absorb these staff into the NAC structure and payroll so that we retain critical expertise,” she explained.
Zimbabwe’s domestic financing model, anchored by the AIDS Levy and continued Government budgetary support, has proven essential in weathering funding fluctuations.
Mrs Mukwehwa said these home-grown solutions had fortified the country’s ability to maintain momentum in its HIV response.
