Zimbabwe’s HIV gains face a test among young people

Zimbabwe has made major progress against HIV, but health workers and advocates are concerned that gains could prove difficult to sustain among young people. They say effective treatment may have reduced the perceived danger of HIV, while prevention depends on young people understanding and being able to use available services.

UNAIDS estimates that Zimbabwe’s annual new infections fell from 79,000 in 2010 to 15,000 in 2023; among people aged 15 to 24, they fell from 27,000 to 4,400. Condoms, testing, PrEP, PEP and injectable prevention are available, but access to youth-friendly services remains uneven. The article also places Zimbabwe’s challenge in a wider regional context, where HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women remain a concern.