By A Correspondent
Reports from Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, suggest that some people living with HIV are being asked to pay unofficial fees to access antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, as the country faces increasing pressure on its ARV supply chain.
The situation is believed to have worsened following a 90-day freeze on international aid implemented by former U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20, which disrupted the flow of crucial medical supplies, including HIV medication.
Zimbabwe has made significant progress in its HIV response. By 2023, it had become one of just five African countries to reach the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets: 95% of HIV-positive individuals knew their status, 98% of those were on treatment, and 95% had achieved viral suppression. However, recent supply disruptions now cast a shadow over those gains.
In many clinics, long lines of patients are now a daily reality, with growing fears about the future availability of ARVs. Some individuals have resorted to bribing clinic staff to receive their full six-month medication allotments.
One nurse at a Harare clinic, speaking anonymously to Health Policy Watch, confirmed that some health workers are profiting from the situation. “With our salaries being so low and ARVs becoming scarce, we’ve started charging patients a small amount under the table. It’s our chance to make a little extra,” the nurse revealed.
As of 2022, roughly 1.3 million people in Zimbabwe were living with HIV, and 1.2 million were receiving treatment. The current uncertainty places these lives at risk if the supply situation does not stabilize soon.
Despite these concerns, government officials have publicly dismissed claims of a nationwide ARV shortage. In February, during a parliamentary session, Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora assured lawmakers that “Zimbabwe has enough ARVs to last for at least the next six months,” and emphasized that treatment services would continue uninterrupted, even with international funding in flux.
A separate government spokesperson also rejected reports of a shortfall, stating, “There is no crisis. The supply of ARVs is being managed and patients will continue to receive the medication they need.”
Still, with frontline workers admitting to informal fees and patients expressing fear, many in the HIV-positive community remain unconvinced.