THE National Aids Council (NAC) in Bulawayo says the city remains on track towards meeting global and national HIV response targets, despite challenges posed by a mature epidemic profile.
Speaking during a NAC media engagement on Monday, provincial monitoring and evaluation officer Primrose Dube said Zimbabwe had recorded major gains in reducing HIV incidence over the years, with Bulawayo contributing positively to the national response.
“We are all aware that as a country we have made significant strides in the response to HIV, and Bulawayo has also made the same strides,” she said.
According to 2024 estimates, Bulawayo has about 76 000 people living with HIV, with women accounting for 60 percent of cases compared to 40% for men.
Among people aged 15 to 49 years, about 51,747 are living with HIV, while approximately 3,713 young people have the virus. The adult population aged 15 and above accounts for 73,552 people living with HIV, while about 3,056 children aged zero to 14 years are also living with the virus.
Dube said Bulawayo has the lowest number of people living with HIV compared to other provinces, with the province’s HIV prevalence rate standing at 10,7% in 2024.
“The male prevalence was 7,8% against the female prevalence of 13,6%,” she said.
She explained that Bulawayo’s HIV epidemic profile is now classified as mature, with prevalence rates peaking among older age groups. Among men, the highest HIV prevalence was recorded in the 65 to 69 age group at 24.9%. For women, the highest prevalence was within the 50 to 54 age bracket at 29.2%.
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Dube warned that the mature epidemic profile exposes many people living with HIV to increased risks of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), prompting the need for integrated health responses.
“As such, considering that we have a mature epidemic, our people living with HIV are very prone to NCDs,” she said.
She added that organisations such as Zimbos Abantu are already supporting the integration of HIV and NCD services in response to changing health needs.
Dube also noted that while Bulawayo has the lowest absolute number of people living with HIV nationally, prevalence rates within the economically active 15 to 49 age group remain comparatively high when measured against the city’s total population, demonstrating the need for continued investment in prevention, treatment, and awareness programmes.
