ZIMBABWE has recorded an increase in HIV/Aids-related deaths for the period January to June this year compared to the same period in 2024 amid concerns by lawmakers that foreign aid cuts to life-saving programmes are begging to be felt.
Health and Child Care minister Douglas Mombeshora, however, was quick to allay the fears saying the increase in HIV/Aids-related deaths was not related to funding cuts.My response to question number 9 is that Aids deaths in 2024 from January to June were 5 712. Forthe same period, January to June 2025, there were 5 932,” Mombeshora said in response on Wednesday in Parliament.
“This means that in 2025, there were 220 more deaths compared to 2024 over the same period.”
Madzivanyika followed up with a supplementary question asking, “Is it not that this increment represents the challenge that we are now facing or the burden that has now increased, now that development partners have left Zimbabwe in terms of funding for HIV and Aids-related programmes?”I think I have said this before in this Parliament that all patients on HIV treatment should not panic because we have enough medicines for them.
“I cannot give a specific reason now to say why we have these figures. Usually, we wait until the end of the year.”
He added: “You may find that maybe by the end of the year, we may have fewer figures for this year than last year.
“At the end of the year, that is when we start looking at month by month and try to see where we have missed it or find the reasons why the figures are going up, but at the moment, it is not related to the withdrawal because the commodities are there.”
Emakhandeni-Luveve lawmaker Discent Bajila and his Chiredzi Central counterpart, Ropafadzo Makumire, were, however, not convinced by Mombeshora’s explanation.
“We are left with 12 days of this month. What happens to our capacity to handle HIV/Aids cases post the 30th of June?” Bajila asked.
Makumire added: “What could be attributed to this increase, if he is denying that it has something to do with the withdrawal of donor funding?"
