By a Correspondent
Zimbabwe could face a sharp rise in new HIV infections following the withdrawal of key United States-funded health programmes, with experts warning that up to 75,000 new HIV cases could be recorded by 2027 if urgent mitigation measures are not implemented.
The warning comes as the Government defended its decision to reject a proposed US$367 million health package from the United States, saying the funding came with conditions that threatened the safety and sovereignty of Zimbabwean citizens.
Speaking in Parliament, Information Minister Dr Zhemu Soda said the Government turned down the funding because it required Zimbabwe to provide biological samples and data for research to be conducted in the United States.
Dr Soda said the Government was also concerned that vaccines developed from the research would not be shared with Zimbabwe.
“As much as we required the money, we could not do that at the expense of the citizens of Zimbabwe,” he said. “All we did was protect our citizens by not taking the money and by putting lives first.”
The Minister said Zimbabwe would only consider resuming discussions if the conditions attached to the funding were removed.
However, the decision has raised concerns about the future of HIV interventions in a country that has long relied on support from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Speaking during a media roundtable on the sidelines of the 2026 International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, former PEPFAR Chief Scientific Officer Dr Mike Reid warned that countries failing to secure replacement funding could experience major setbacks in controlling HIV.
“In Zimbabwe, the lack of an MoU poses an epidemic threat,” Reid said.
He cited modelling which suggests that disruptions caused by PEPFAR funding reductions could contribute to as many as 75,000 additional HIV infections in 2027.
Reid said HIV prevention programmes had already been severely affected, noting that 93 percent of condom distribution initiatives in Zimbabwe were previously funded through PEPFAR, while many programmes targeting key populations had also been cut.
He said the concern was not the principle of transitioning HIV programmes to local ownership, but the speed and uncertainty surrounding the withdrawal of funding.
Despite the challenges, Reid said the situation could present an opportunity for African countries to strengthen domestic financing and build more sustainable health systems capable of supporting long-term HIV responses.
