By Shamiso Yikoniko in Kigali, Rwanda
Zimbabwe’s proactive efforts to expand HIV self-testing
(HIVST) have led to 15 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in the country this year (2024), according to recent government data shared at the 13th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference in Kigali, Rwanda. The findings highlight the strategy’s success in reaching high-risk groups, especially men, who have historically been more difficult to diagnose through traditional health services.
The strategy has resulted in male testing rates doubling with HIVST (39 percent) compared to facility-based testing (22 percent); over 1,300 kits were distributed during the initial public health facility pilot, with antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation rates comparable to those of standard testing. New infections have decreased by 80.4 percent since 2010, though officials warn that progress could stall without additional investment.
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Facts:
1.3 million people are living with HIV in Zimbabwe
15,474 new infections in 2023 (down from 78,901 in 2010)
26,415 AIDS-related deaths in 2023 (57.4 drop since 2010)
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The data, presented by Gertrude Ncube, the National HIV Prevention Coordinator for the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC), comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed HIVST last year for PrEP initiation and monitoring, citing its potential to reduce clinic burdens and reach underserved populations.
While HIVST has proven effective in Zimbabwe’s urban clinics, Ncube acknowledged significant barriers such as staff shortages, which have caused distribution to fall below national targets. Some users still doubt the validity of the oral test, despite WHO approval, and there is limited private testing space in busy facilities.
To address these gaps, Zimbabwe is implementing low-cost training for health workers, setting up privacy booths, and launching AI-driven public awareness campaigns.
Self-testing represents a breaking down of barriers,” stated Ncube. “However, in the absence of adequately trained personnel and the consistent availability of testing kits, these barriers could subsequently be reinstated.”
With 40 percent of Africans with HIV still undiagnosed, Zimbabwe’s model—which integrates testing with PrEP and long-acting injectable prevention—could serve as a template for other high-burden countries.
Dr. Meg Doherty, WHO HIV/Hepatitis Director, called the results “a proof of concept for scaling self-testing continent-wide,” but emphasized that supply chain reliability and community trust-building remain challenges.
