Studies on HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe have found that communities that practice polygamy tend to have lower rates of HIV infection compared to other settings, reported <a href="https://healthtimes.co.zw/2024/07/03/polygamous-communities-have-lowest-hiv-burden-in-zimbabwe/">Health Times</a>.
Polygamy refers to the practice of one man being married to multiple women at the same time.
In Zimbabwe, the HIV response emphasizes the importance of individuals limiting themselves to one sexual partner, as having multiple concurrent partners significantly increases the risk of HIV infection.
While numerous studies conducted across Sub-Saharan Africa have found that the practice of polygamy is associated with an increased risk of new HIV infections, some research also suggests that certain cultural practices observed within polygamous settings may play a role in regulating sexual behaviour and potentially mitigating HIV transmission in these communities.
Mashonaland West Province, for example, is a high HIV burden province in Zimbabwe with an estimated population of 1,245,000 and an estimated 143,000 people living with HIV from its seven administrative districts.
Interestingly, Kariba District, which is known for having a higher prevalence of polygamous marriages, has the lowest HIV prevalence rates in the province.
Davison Mamombe, the National AIDS Council Programs Officer for Mashonaland West Province revealed that Kariba, despite being a polygamous community, has the lowest HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) burden in the province. He said:
<blockquote>
In terms of the highest disease burden, Mhondoro Ngezi has the highest HIV burden in the province at 14.3% followed by Chegutu at 13.7% then Zvimba, at 12.6%, Makonde at 12%, Hurungwe at 11.06% and Kariba has 9%.
Kariba becomes unique in the sense that we have people who have strong cultural roots and those people practice polygamy.
However for an outsider to penetrate their circles, it becomes a challenge so because of that, HIV prevalence in those communities is very low including sexually transmitted infections.
</blockquote>
In Matabeleland North province, Tsholotsho District has the highest HIV prevalence at 21.9% while Binga, also a highly polygamous community has the lowest HIV prevalence at 5.3%.
In a previous interview with the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/why-binga-has-low-hiv-prevalence/">Chronicle</a>, Amon Mpofu, the National AIDS Council’s (NAC) national director of monitoring and evaluation, highlighted that the Tonga people in Binga had valuable insights to share about how their cultural practices and beliefs have contributed to a lower HIV prevalence in their community compared to other regions in the country. He said:
<blockquote>
HIV is a sexually transmitted disease as we all know and this means Tonga values are strong and as a result, the transmission is low. They also have strong values when it comes to marriage. They avoid casual sex and value marriage, something which we should all emulate.
</blockquote>
However, National AIDS Council Chief Executive Officer, Dr Benard Madzima said polygamy was not the factor behind the low HIV prevalence in communities where polygamy is prevalent. He said:
<blockquote>
Maybe the protective factor is not necessarily polygamy. The prevalence might be low but to attribute it to polygamy that’s where my question is.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Polygamous Communities In Zimbabwe Have Lower HIV Infection Rates

The fishing camps dotted around Lake Kariba and have become hotspots for fish for sex which involves sex workers trading sex for fish.
This was said by National Aids Council (NAC) chief executive Bernard Madzima on Monday.
<a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200010025/kariba-fishermen-in-sex-for-fish-trade">NewsDay</a> reported Madzima as saying the sex for fish trade was hampering efforts to reduce the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe.
Madzima noted that prostitution in fishing camps was leading to a new wave of HIV infections as well as sexually-transmitted infections. He said:
<blockquote>
In Kariba, fisheries have been identified as hotspots where there is rampant trade of fish for sex.
There is a new phenomenon where sex workers now cohabit with male fishermen in exchange for fish.
As an organisation, we have trained 10 female peer sex workers and 10 male peer fishermen to conduct HIV and AIDS peer education and condom distribution in Kariba where this issue is rampant.
</blockquote>
Some of the fishing camps affected by the sex-for-fish practice include Gatshe Gatshe, Ndomo, Musamba, Muchenga in Kariba and Kalulwe, Simatelele and Chibuyu in Binga.
Last year, Zimbabwe became the first African country to approve injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medicine to help reduce the rate of new infections.
PrEP is for people who don’t have HIV and are at risk of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use.
According to CDC, injectable PrEP with CAB is highly effective at protecting patients from HIV and is for adults and adolescents who weigh at least 35 kg and are at risk of getting HIV through sex.
The US Embassy in Zimbabwe said that in 2020, 1.23 million adults in Zimbabwe were living with HIV. This constituted 12.9 percent of the adult population.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Lake Kariba A Hotspot For Fish For Sex Trade - NAC

The National AIDS Council (NAC) says new HIV infections continue to increase among adolescent girls and young women while they are going down in other groups.
Addressing female learners at the commemorations of the International Day of the Girl Child on Tuesday, NAC Bulawayo Provincial AIDS Manager, Sinatra Nyathi said:
<blockquote>
Imagine, in all age groups HIV is going down but adolescent girls and young women are getting new infections.
We realise young girls attend vuzu parties, where unplanned pregnancies, HIV, STIs, and other diseases emerge.
As NAC, we are on the path to achieving epidemic control, but we must also prevent further HIV spread.
However, new infections continue to be identified, with adolescent girls and young women being disproportionately affected.
</blockquote>
Nyathi urged young girls to practice abstinence as it is important in HIV prevention. She said:
<blockquote>
You can’t sell your life over that red box of chips yet you can be a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) girl who is educated and empowered and buy as many of those red boxes as you want.
We can abstain from sex, it’s not necessary to destroy your life. Even if you have started indulging in sexual activity as NAC we have what we call secondary abstinence where someone realises that they are not going anywhere with having sex.
You need to stop having it today and start planning for the future because you will start dying prematurely.
We want girls to take over but girls cannot take over because of the decisions they make. You can still abstain from sex and plan your life.
I always thank God that I didn’t destroy my life over five minutes’ activity of risky sexual behaviours.
</blockquote>
She also urged girls to use the internet wisely and avoid visiting pornography websites as this may lure them into engaging in sexual activities and risk contracting HIV and STIs. | <a href="https://cite.org.zw/rise-in-new-hiv-infections-among-adolescent-girls-worrying/">CITE</a>

New HIV Infections Rise Among Adolescent Girls

The chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, Ruth Labode, said they are lobbying President Emerson Mnangagwa through the Speaker of the National Assembly seeking amnesty for people imprisoned for wilful transmission of HIV.
This comes after the Parliament of Zimbabwe recently repealed section 79 of the Criminal Law Code, which criminalized wilful HIV transmission.
According to National Aids Council (NAC), Zimbabwe currently has the highest rate of HIV criminalisation prosecutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and the sixth highest in the world.
As of April 2021, Zimbabwe had 18 individuals who have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for wilful transmission of HIV.
Speaking during a NAC workshop for editors and station managers in Mazowe, Labode said:
<blockquote>
I made a request in Parliament on a privilege point, I asked the President officially through the Speaker [of the National Assembly] to say can the President now use his amnesty powers to make sure that everybody that was imprisoned because of this law be granted amnesty and released.
So that’s where we are and that’s what we are lobbying for in line with the recent repealing of section 79 of the Criminal Law Code.
</blockquote>
Commenting on the recent decriminalisation of wilful transmission of HIV move, Health and Policy Consortium of Zimbabwe Projects Coordinator, Dorcas Chitiyo said:
<blockquote>
What do we mean by decriminalizing wilful transmission of HIV? It means that the law is no longer applicable here in Zimbabwe. That law has been nullified.
In this case, the potential miscarriages of justice in terms of proof and causality, in terms of the negative public health impact of criminalization have been attacked head-on through the decriminalization of wilful transmission.
The decriminalization happened by repealing Section 79 of our current criminal code. 
Decriminalization is different from legalization. These are two related yet distinct aspects.
When we say we decriminalized, it does not mean we legalized wilful transmission.
This means that the criminal penalties that were attributed to the act, are no longer in effect.
In this respect, what we are terming wilful transmission is no longer attaining a criminal penalty.
[However]… if a person is convicted of a sexual offence and it is realized after that conviction that this person was aware and proceeded to commit the sexual violence act, and they were HIV positive, it is taken as an aggravating factor and you will still be held accountable.
</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://healthtimes.co.zw/2022/07/07/parliament-wants-presidential-amnesty-for-all-wilful-transmission-of-hiv-prisoners/">Health Times</a></h4>

Wilful Transmission Of HIV Prisoners Must All Be Pardoned - Parliament

HIV-related deaths in Zimbabwe have fallen to around 55 deaths a day, from a peak average of 350 daily fatalities in 2002, the National Aids Council (NAC) has said.
In 2021, the number of people who died of HIV-related complications was around 20 000, while in 2002 the figure was close to 130 000, according to statistics provided by NAC.
Speaking at a training workshop for news editors which is underway in Mazowe, NAC operations director, Raymond Yekeye, revealed that the bulk of new HIV infections is caused by young sex workers, particularly adolescents. He said:
<blockquote>
A good number of newer and younger sex workers are not on antiretroviral treatment, compared to older or more experienced sex workers.
The young ones attract a high number of clients, and they have less experience in negotiating for safe sex, leaving them susceptible to new HIV infections.
</blockquote>
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) approved dapivirine or vaginal ring for use in the country as it helps women in preventing HIV transmission since it is hard for them to negotiate for safer sex.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/new-hiv-deaths-average-55-a-day">The Sunday Mail</a></h4>

HIV Deaths Average 55 A Day, Says NAC

Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) advocates say the dapivirine or vaginal ring is invaluable for women in preventing HIV transmission since it is hard for them to negotiate for safer sex.
The ring has since been approved for use in Zimbabwe by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), says <a href="https://cite.org.zw/author/senzeni/">Senzeni Ncube</a> writing for CITE.
Dapivirine is made of silicone and must be worn inside the vagina for a period of 28 days after which it should be replaced with a new ring.
Speaking during an online cross-border science media café involving Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya, SRHR advocate, Chilufya Hampongo from Zambia said:
<blockquote>
It’s a fact that HIV carries a face of a female, women are carrying a lot of burdens and we expect to see a lot of research centred on women so as to help them get through what they are going through. Women face unequal gender norms that limit their agency and the voice of women and girls.
We know it is very hard for women to negotiate for safer sex because the power struggle that exists even in homes for those that are married is something we can not even doubt, so the ring does not only speak to choose but also promotes body autonomy and integrity.
Women want options that are easy to use and very convenient for them without asking their partners.
Women have hope that the ring could solve some of the challenges which they face, when we asked them about efficacy levels, some echoed that 50 per cent efficacy is better than nothing at all because it is convenient and also the issue of adherence with oral prep has been an issue for women, so at this point we shouldn’t be downgrading one option over another because we will be doing a disservice to the people who we want to save.
</blockquote>
A manager for advocacy and community outreach for the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) the developer/manufacturer, Sinazo Pato outlined the advantages of using dapivirine. Said Pato:
<blockquote>
The ring is the first long-acting HIV prevention product that is women controlled, women can insert the ring on their own, in clinical trials they were taught, but follow-on rings they were able to insert it on their own in their homes, it is discreet, partners cannot feel it, you can go about your business with the ring, if you feel it, it means it’s not inserted properly.
</blockquote>
The vaginal ring delivers, dapivirine, an antiretroviral drug slowly over the course of one month directly to the vaginal tissue to help protect against HIV at the site of potential infection.
<h4>More: <a href="https://cite.org.zw/dapivirine-ring-offers-women-option-for-safe-sex/">CITE</a></h4>

Vaginal Ring Offers Women Option For Safe Sex

Health and Childcare Minister, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said that the government will prioritise sex workers, prison inmates and artisanal miners with interventions to reduce HIV infections in the country.
Chiwenga was speaking this week as the guest of honour to mark the virtual World AIDS commemorations. He said:
<blockquote>To ensure that this trend continues, the country shall prioritise interventions targeting sub-populations with higher incidence and prevalence such as sex workers, prison inmates, adolescent girls and young women and youth in general and other key populations.
As well as other groups like artisanal miners and mobile transporters whose occupational dynamics increase their risk to HIV.
At the same time, focus will be intensified towards reducing mother-to-child transmission and public provision of prevention devices such as condoms following the temporal shortages during Covid-19 disruptions.</blockquote>
This comes after the country’s new HIV annual infections fell from 47 000 recorded in 2016 to current statistics of 40 000 while AIDS-related deaths have declined to 20 000 in 2019 from 54 000 in 2010.
Chiwenga also said Zimbabwe now has nearly 1.2 million people on ARVs, which has resulted in annual AIDS-related deaths falling.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/govt-targets-sex-workers-artisanal-miners-in-hiv-fight-chiwenga/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

Chiwenga Targets Sex Workers, Artisanal Miners

The National Aids Council writes:
<blockquote>A commendable number of people have been tested and know their status, but some have fallen prey to network marketers and street doctors and are not following advice given tothem by health personnel.
It has come to the National Aids Council’s attention that there are drygs and herbs being sold in the country as cures for HIV and Aids. Some of these drugs are being smuggled into the country and other are locally made. These have not been tested and approved by experts, It is not advisable to take them.
We do not encourage the use of hherbs or traditional medicines together with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). ARVs on their own are very effective in the treatment of HIV infections and they do not need any assistance from herbs or other medicines provided they are taken correctly as per advice from the health workers.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://news.co.zw/newspapers-tv/standard/">The Standard Style</a>

National Aids Council Discourages Use Of Herbs Together With ARVs

The National Aids Council is targeting artisanal miners in Shurugwi with some of its programmes in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The council said recently that they had noticed an increase STI and HIV infections in areas where informal miners operate. It also took the decision given the abuse of commercial sex workers by the miners in these areas.
Said Shurugwi District Aids Coordinator Petros Mazengwa:
<blockquote>As NAC, we have now realised the need to involve the artisanal miners in our HIV programmes after we noticed an increase in STIs and HIV infections from the mining areas.
There are stories of these machete-wielding artisanal miners demanding unprotected sex from commercial sex workers, so we saw it important to incorporate them in our HIV awareness campaigns to spread the message.
They are now our condom champions who help with the distribution of condoms in these mining sites as we want to prevent both STIs and HIV at the same time.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/nac-ropes-in-mashurugwi">Sunday Mail</a>

National Aids Council Targets Artisanal Miners

The National Aids council (NAC) has identified the hotspots of HIV in <a href="http://www.pindula.co.zw/Bulawayo">Bulawayo</a>.  The city itself ia also considered an HIV hotspot as it has an 18,7 percent prevalence rate compared to the national average of 14,6.
According to the World Health Organisation, an HIV and Aids hotspot is a geographical area or location with evidence of a high prevalence of HIV, STIs or behaviours that put people at risk of acquiring HIV infection.
The areas identified as hotspots by NAC include:
<blockquote>Sidojiwe Flats, Burombo Flats, Makokoba suburb and Old Pumula suburb as well as Mbundane
Cowdray Park’s new stands and Pumula South and squatter camps like Ngozi Mine and one near Killarney
Sports bars with booking houses in Emakhandeni, Magwegwe and Cowdray Park
 </blockquote>
Nac Bulawayo provincial Aids coordinator Mrs Sinatra Nyathi said:
<blockquote>Streets like Samuel Parirenyatwa and places like Esibayeni and Marisha are also hotspots where even teenage sex workers thrive.
<div>Guardrooms, and lodges around the city have also been offered to sex workers at night</div>
</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.chronicle.co.zw/nac-names-byos-hiv-hotspots/">Chronicle</a>

HIV Latest News

Latest Jobs