Key points
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Bulawayo recorded a 44% drop in new HIV infections since 2020.
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Antiretroviral treatment coverage rose from 87.5% to 98.3%.
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Funding cuts threaten to reverse progress despite success.
Bulawayo has recorded one of Zimbabwe’s most encouraging health milestones in recent years: a sharp 44% drop in new HIV infections since 2020.
The figures, contained in the National Aids Council’s (NAC) 2025 HIV Estimate Report, show that the number of new infections fell from 1 016 in 2020 to 567 in 2024.
The province also recorded a reduction of more than 3 000 in the number of people living with HIV over the same period.
Antiretroviral treatment (ART) coverage has expanded significantly, climbing from 87,5% five years ago to 98,3% today. Men and women have benefitted almost equally from these gains.
Behind the statistics are families staying together, children growing up with healthy parents, and communities that now face a lighter burden of disease.
Hard-won progress
Health experts say the decline is the result of prevention campaigns, widespread testing, and strong treatment programmes.
Peer counsellors, community groups and health workers have also played a central role in reducing stigma and encouraging people to get tested.
“This is proof that focused strategies can change the course of the epidemic,” one Bulawayo health worker said.
“When people know their status and have access to treatment, lives are saved.”
But success has not come easily. Zimbabwe’s health system continues to struggle with shortages of drugs, equipment and staff. Many hospitals rely heavily on donor funding to keep ART supplies flowing.
Funding concerns
While the results are promising, experts warn that progress could stall if funding dries up. The United States government has already withdrawn direct HIV aid for 2025, raising fears about sustainability.
NAC officials say that without consistent financial support, it will be difficult to maintain ART supplies and community outreach.
The report stressed that fighting HIV is not only about medicine and science, but also about political will, reliable funding and social behaviour.
Health activists have called on government to ensure uninterrupted supplies of ART drugs and to ring-fence health budgets, warning that setbacks could reverse years of progress.
A victory to protect
Zimbabwe has seen moments of progress before, only to lose ground when momentum faded. In 1999, elections were considered fair, but over time political instability eroded trust. The same risk exists in health — where early wins can be undone by complacency.
Civil society groups note that hospitals across the country remain underfunded, with patients often bringing their own bandages or painkillers.
Meanwhile, millions are still spent on luxury cars and foreign trips for senior officials.
Critics warn that this culture of misplaced priorities could threaten the very progress that Bulawayo now celebrates.
Looking ahead
A 44% drop in new HIV infections is no small achievement. It shows that, even with limited resources, targeted prevention and treatment can work.
But it is also a reminder that Zimbabwe must take ownership of its health programmes rather than depending entirely on donor goodwill.
To sustain the gains, analysts say government must:
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Guarantee steady ART supplies.
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Maintain widespread testing and prevention campaigns.
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Protect health budgets from political interference.
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Invest in people — nurses, doctors, and community health workers — not just buildings.
The ultimate goal is still zero new infections, zero stigma and zero deaths. Bulawayo has shown that progress is possible.
The real test is whether the rest of the country can follow its lead — and whether leaders will match donor commitments with real domestic investment.
