HARARE Zimbabwe- In a dim, crumbling room on the outskirts of Harare, three women sit silently on a thin, fraying mattress. This is not just a shelter—it is a workplace, a place where Zimbabwe sex workers now risk their lives daily in the absence of basic health protections.
For nearly two decades, US-backed health programmes, particularly the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)—the largest HIV initiative in the world—provided a critical safety net for Zimbabwe’s fragile health system. These programs offered free condoms, HIV testing, antiretroviral treatment (ARVs), and counseling to vulnerable populations, including thousands of sex workers.
But following an abrupt halt in funding earlier this year under US President Donald Trump’s administration, that lifeline vanished. The fallout has been immediate—and devastating.
Zimbabwe Sex Workers Turn to Desperate Measures
Sharon Mukakanhanga, a 43-year-old sex worker in Zimbabwe, reached into her handbag and pulled out a tiny pair of baby socks.
“These little socks served as condoms when I became desperate,” she said, her voice shaking. “After the US government withdrew its support, I had no access to the safe clinic I depended on for years.”
Mukakanhanga’s story is tragically common. With formerly US-funded clinics either shuttered or emptied of supplies, Zimbabwe sex workers have had to improvise for survival—often at great personal risk. Makeshift barriers like plastic bags and socks are no substitute for proper protection, leaving many exposed to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
According to official figures, AIDS-related deaths in Zimbabwe rose in the first half of 2025, with 5,932 recorded fatalities compared to 5,712 during the same period in 2024. Health experts say this increase, while potentially caused by several factors, cannot be separated from the sudden funding withdrawal.
“It was a very difficult period. I literally lost my mind,” said Cecilia Ruzvidzo, a 47-year-old HIV-positive sex worker and mother of four. “I was given just 10 days’ worth of ARVs on my last clinic visit. There were no condoms. My work became a daily death trap—for me and for my clients.”
With US-funded healthcare centres no longer operational, Zimbabwe sex workers now rely on overstretched non-governmental organisations. Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which operates independently of American aid, continues to run clinics in Harare suburbs like Epworth and Mbare—but resources are stretched dangerously thin.
“They don’t know where to go or where to seek services,” said Charlotte Pignon, MSF project lead. “We’re doing everything we can, but the demand far exceeds capacity.”
Pignon noted that while it’s difficult to isolate the exact causes of the rising HIV-related deaths, the absence of stable, reliable care is undoubtedly part of the problem. “It’s impossible to say the cuts have not had an impact.”
The scale of the crisis is still unfolding, said Wonder Mufunda, CEO of the Centre for Humanitarian Analytics (CHA) in Harare. He revealed that US support once provided up to $522 million in aid, with $90 million allocated directly to HIV and AIDS programs.
“You wake up and you’ve lost half a billion dollars in support—of course there are serious disruptions,” Mufunda explained. “It’s a massive blow, and the full consequences are just beginning to emerge.”
Beyond the healthcare collapse, Zimbabwe’s worsening economic conditions are also driving more women into sex work. An estimated 40,500 women are now working in the trade nationwide, according to CHA.
With increased competition and lower prices, many Zimbabwe sex workers have lost the power to insist on safe sex.
“Some girls are charging as little as 50 US cents per client,” said 20-year-old Cleopatra Katsande. “That’s less than the cost of a box of condoms. We can’t afford to be safe anymore.”
Ruzvidzo echoed the sentiment. “We knew it wasn’t safe, using baby socks as condoms. But I had to feed my children. That’s what it came down to.”
And the clients? “They don’t care,” she said. “When it comes to that moment, men don’t think straight.”
As Zimbabwe’s health system teeters under pressure, calls are growing louder for both international and domestic actors to step in. Activists argue that the loss of foreign funding should not mean a death sentence for Zimbabwe sex workers—or any citizen dependent on public healthcare.
“If international support is gone, the Zimbabwean government must step up,” said Mufunda. “We cannot allow the most vulnerable in society to be forgotten.”
For now, women like Mukakanhanga, Ruzvidzo, and Katsande continue to navigate unimaginable risks, hoping that someone—anyone—will see their struggle and act.
Source- EWN
