By Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
GWERU – The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has raised alarm over a significant decline in Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) services in the Midlands province, citing a major reduction in critical donor funding earlier this year.
For over a decade, Zimbabwe’s successful VMMC program has been predominantly funded by international partners, including the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). However, a freeze on foreign aid has led to a severe scaling back of circumcision activities, leaving local health authorities scrambling to maintain coverage.
Provincial Medical Director, Dr. Mary Muchekeza, confirmed the negative impact is already being felt.
“We made significant strides when we used to have donor funding. I must speak at this point to say that we are seeing a decline in the number of people who are coming for VMMC,” Dr. Muchekeza stated.
VMMC is a cornerstone of HIV prevention in Zimbabwe, proven to reduce a man’s risk of heterosexual HIV transmission by approximately 60%. The slowdown of this program poses a direct threat to the nation’s goal of an AIDS-free generation by 2030.
Despite the setback, Dr. Muchekeza expressed confidence in local strategies to revive the program.
“After the cut of funding, we saw a decline, but we are confident that with the interventions we are doing in terms of continuous education promotion, as well as sensitisation, we will get to see that picking up again. We continuously engage our local structures,” she added.
The funding crisis is particularly acute in high-burden districts within the province. Mr. Mambewu Shumba, the National AIDS Council (NAC) Provincial Manager for Midlands, highlighted areas like Zvishavane (16.3% HIV prevalence), Shurugwi (14.6%), and Mberengwa (13%) as major concerns.
“Condom use and VMMC are critical in reducing the new infections we continue to record, especially in mining towns and high-mobility areas such as Kwekwe and Gweru. These are hotspots because of artisanal mining, industries, and tertiary institutions,” Shumba explained.
He detailed ongoing challenges, including low comprehensive knowledge about HIV among youth, substance abuse, and limited access to health services in remote resettlement areas. These factors, combined with the funding gap, threaten to reverse years of progress.
Currently, Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) coverage in Midlands is about 90% for adults but falls drastically to 61% for children, underscoring the need for sustained and robust prevention efforts like VMMC to stop new infections.
As major external support dwindles, the province is now relying on a combination prevention strategy that emphasizes community engagement, condom distribution, and local sensitization campaigns to protect the health of its 1.8 million citizens.
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