Zim GBC News | Health and Environment
BULAWAYO – Persistent and high HIV infection rates among key populations in Bulawayo threaten to undermine the city’s progress in fighting the epidemic, with new data revealing a dire situation exacerbated by funding shortages and social stigma.
The 2025 HIV Estimates Report highlights that female sex workers and transgender women aged 20-24 bear the highest incidence, closely followed by men who have sex with men (MSM) and male sex workers aged 25-34.
National AIDS Council (NAC) Bulawayo Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Primrose Dube, presented the findings, addressing the community’s invisibility head-on.
“We do actually have male sex workers in Bulawayo,” Dube stated during a workshop with journalists, countering widespread denial of their existence.
She confirmed that partners like the Sexual Rights Centre (SRC) and CESSHar are actively programming for these key populations.
In a stark risk assessment, SRC Director Mojalifa Mokoele Ndlovu explained the disproportionate burden these groups face.
“Men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected, probably 20 to 22 times more likely to contract HIV in their lifetime than heterosexual men. Sex workers are even more at risk, about 35 times more likely than women who have one partner,” Ndlovu told Zim GBC News.
He directly linked these risks to a collapse in inclusive healthcare access, citing the closure of USAID-funded clinics due to ‘stop work orders’.
“We have nowhere else to go,” Ndlovu said, noting key populations now rely almost entirely on often-discriminatory public health facilities.
The funding crisis was confirmed by Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director, Dr. Maphios Siamuchembu.
“Especially after the US Government ‘stop work’ orders… funding gaps for key population interventions have increased,” Dr. Siamuchembu said.
“By their very nature, key populations do not seek health services in ordinary facilities. They require specialised programming, which is costly. This gap has worsened.”
Ndlovu issued an urgent call for the integration of key populations into mainstream health services, stating,
“We really need to change the mindset of our service providers… so that they can offer non-discriminatory services, be welcoming, be friendly and have less attitude.”
The report also underscored the continued vulnerability of young women. Dube highlighted that females aged 15-24 face between two and 2.5 times higher HIV incidence rates than their male peers, emphasizing that “as a province, we must prioritise prevention efforts for young women if we are to move toward epidemic control.”
The data paints a clear picture: without targeted, funded, and stigma-free interventions, Bulawayo’s fight against HIV will remain incomplete, leaving its most vulnerable citizens in a cycle of hidden lives and hidden risks.
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