Trump aid cuts begin to bite in Zimbabwe as Aids funding gap threatens years of gains

📅 Published: August 16, 2025

📰 Source: thestandard

Curated by AllZimNews.com

At the time, Zimbabwe was not offering antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) and people living with HIV relied on “positive living” methods focused on traditional nutrition, herbal remedies, mental well-being, and peer support to manage life with HIV and home-based care for the bedridden.

The situation was dire, but Angela and a few other women came together and marched to the State House to share their grievances with the late president Robert Mugabe.

They did not manage to get to the State House due to security reasons, but eventually they secured a meeting with the late vice-president Joseph Msika.

That meeting became one of the many milestones that led to the introduction of ARVs in Zimbabwe five years later.

Since then, Jambo has spent her time advocating for others living with HIV.

With strong donor support, especially from the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), access to treatment expanded, support groups grew, awareness increased, and hope renewed.

But that hope is now crumbling after the US President, Donald Trump, issued a sweeping executive order that froze most foreign aid, followed by aggressive and rescinding proposals aimed at cutting billions in global health and development funding.

Over 170 days later, today, the USAid has effectively ceased operations, the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) faces an uncertain future, and the administration announced the end of US. funding for UNAids, the United Nations flagship programme for HIV and Aids.

More donor countries, including the Netherlands and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), have announced reductions in their financial support in Africa, a situation that will further cripple Zimbabwe’s already overstretched health sector.

Angela felt the blow first-hand.

She received the message to stop all activities via a WhatsApp group for volunteers under USAid projects. 🔗

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