By Flata Kavinga
The Midlands Province has adequate stocks of HIV medicines across its public health facilities, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution has said.
The assurance was revealed in a speech delivered on behalf of the Minister by the Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary, Mr Edgars Seenza during the Midlands Provincial World AIDS Day Commemorations held at Gwenungu Primary School in Gwanyika, Gokwe South District.
The Minister said the province had made significant progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, noting that the availability of antiretroviral medicines remained a key pillar in sustaining treatment and reducing new infections.
“I am pleased to advise our traditional leaders, political leaders, stakeholders and community members that HIV medicines are adequately stocked in the Midlands Province,” the Minister said.
He added that medicines for non-communicable diseases as well as those for drug and substance abuse patients were also available at health facilities, while processes were underway to procure outstanding drugs.
Minister Ncube said the Midlands Province had recorded notable strides towards achieving the United Nations AIDS treatment targets, including reducing new HIV infections, increasing access to antiretroviral therapy and achieving viral suppression.
“These achievements are commendable and are a result of strong community resilience strategies, strengthened collaboration and sustainability efforts between civil society and public sector health facilities,” he said.
He highlighted that President Emmerson Mnangagwa remains committed to transforming health service delivery, which he described as a fundamental driver of socio-economic development as Zimbabwe works towards attaining an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
However, Ncube acknowledged that HIV and AIDS programming had faced disruptions in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, funding constraints and broader global economic challenges linked to climate change.
He cited the January 2025 funding cut by USAID, previously the largest donor to HIV programmes, as a major setback that required Zimbabwe to develop more resilient and sustainable responses.
The Minister said the country was now focusing on a “whole of Government and society approach” to ensure continuity of care and improved outcomes for people living with HIV.
He added that the development of the fifth-generation Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (ZNASP) would provide a roadmap to achieving the national vision of Zero New Infections, Zero AIDS-related Deaths and Zero Discrimination.
World AIDS Day is commemorated annually on December 1 to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, promote prevention and encourage collective action to end the epidemic.
