By Gloria Nosa
5,932 HIV/AIDS-related deaths were reported between January and June 2025
Zimbabwe is facing a troubling resurgence in HIV-related fatalities, as health authorities report a sharp increase in deaths linked to the virus during the first half of 2025. This development has raised alarm among public health experts, civil society groups, and international health organizations, who fear a backslide in the country’s decades-long battle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
According to data released by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care, more than 19,000 people died from HIV-related complications between January and June 2025—a significant uptick compared to the same period in 2024. This 23% increase in fatalities represents the highest semi-annual rise in nearly a decade and has sparked widespread concern over gaps in treatment, access to care, and drug adherence.
A Multifaceted Health Crisis
Health officials cite multiple factors contributing to the surge. Foremost among them is the disruption in access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), which remains the cornerstone of HIV management. Economic hardships and supply chain issues have reportedly led to frequent drug stockouts in public health facilities. Some patients have had to travel long distances to obtain medication, while others were forced to switch regimens or go without treatment altogether.
“Patients are defaulting not because they want to, but because the system is failing them,” said Dr. Tapiwa Nyatsanza, a Harare-based infectious disease specialist. “When ART is interrupted, the virus rebounds, the immune system deteriorates, and opportunistic infections take hold—often fatally.”
Additionally, the public health sector in Zimbabwe continues to reel from chronic underfunding. Hospitals and clinics across the country face shortages of essential medical supplies, diagnostic tools, and trained personnel. Many rural areas lack the capacity to properly monitor viral loads or provide counseling services, resulting in late-stage diagnosis and poor treatment outcomes.
Impact on Vulnerable Populations
The recent spike has disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, including women, children, and adolescents. According to UNAIDS Zimbabwe, over 60% of the recent deaths occurred in women, largely due to barriers in accessing reproductive and sexual health services. Meanwhile, HIV-related mortality among adolescents has seen a worrying increase, linked to low ART adherence, stigma, and lack of youth-centered HIV programs.
“The silence around adolescent HIV is costing lives,” said Nyasha Moyo, an advocate with a local youth health NGO. “Many teens are either unaware of their status or don’t receive adequate support to stay on treatment. We need a cultural and policy shift to prioritize them.”
Zimbabwe is home to one of the largest HIV-positive populations in Africa, with an estimated 1.3 million people living with the virus. Although the country has made significant progress over the years—with prevalence rates declining and ART coverage expanding—this recent spike in deaths threatens to reverse those gains.
Call for Action and International Support
In response to the growing crisis, the Ministry of Health has called for emergency international aid and technical support to bolster its HIV response. Officials are seeking to stabilize the supply of antiretrovirals, reinvigorate awareness campaigns, and scale up testing and treatment programs, particularly in underserved communities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Fund have expressed concern and pledged to support Zimbabwe’s renewed efforts. However, both agencies stress that meaningful change will require a coordinated effort that addresses both medical and structural issues—from poverty and stigma to healthcare worker shortages and rural access gaps.
As Zimbabwe battles to regain control over its HIV response, health experts are urging swift action to prevent further loss of life and to safeguard the progress made over the last two decades. The rising death toll is a sobering reminder that the fight against HIV/AIDS remains far from over—and that complacency could prove deadly.
