By Health Reporter- Zimbabwe faces a public health challenge as international funding for condoms is set to end in 2025, potentially reversing the progress made in HIV and AIDS prevention.
Gertrude Ncube, the National HIV Prevention Coordinator in the Ministry of Health, announced the looming crisis at the second quarter HIV Prevention Partnership Forum organized by Safaids in Harare last week.
“Donor fatigue for condom funding is a serious concern,” Ncube said. “As a country, we must decide whether to risk the gains made through our condom programming due to a lack of funding. We need to explore how to mobilize domestic funding to support condom procurement.”
Ncube highlighted Zimbabwe’s heavy reliance on partners such as PEPFAR, through USAID, to supply condoms for both the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council and the public sector. “PEPFAR has already informed us that there will be no condom funding from 2026 onward,” she added.
Dr. Tsitsi Apollo, Deputy Director of the HIV and STI Programme, stressed the urgency of finding alternative funding sources, such as Public-Private Partnerships. “What will happen from 2027 and beyond, given the global funding landscape and the allocations to countries?” she asked. “If Zimbabwe attains upper-middle-income status, we are less likely to receive external funding, as the Global Fund allocates resources based on economic status.”
Raymond Yekeye, Director of Programmes at the National AIDS Council (NAC), noted that the AIDS Levy alone is insufficient to meet the council’s requirements.
“The entire HIV response program is at a critical juncture concerning sustainability and funding,” Yekeye stated. “We need to develop a sustainability roadmap for the HIV response. The AIDS Levy currently covers only 25 to 30 percent of our needs, which is why we are considering other financing mechanisms such as the National Health Insurance Scheme.”
The AIDS Levy, introduced by the government in 1999, is a 3% tax on all income, including salaries, pensions, and investment earnings.
Funds collected are directed to the NAC, which is responsible for coordinating Zimbabwe’s multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS programs and initiatives.
As Zimbabwe grapples with the impending funding shortfall, the need for innovative and sustainable financing solutions becomes increasingly urgent to maintain the strides made in HIV and AIDS prevention.