Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Turns to Aids Levy to Safeguard HIV Response

What the report says

Zimbabwe is leaning on domestic financing, especially its National AIDS Trust Fund, to help sustain HIV and AIDS programmes as external support becomes less predictable. The update, reported by 263Chat and distributed by AllAfrica, says Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora framed the approach as a way to preserve progress in prevention, treatment and care while strengthening national ownership of the response.

Mombeshora made the comments in Harare while receiving a Tanzanian delegation that is visiting Zimbabwe to study the country’s financing model. He said the AIDS Levy gives Zimbabwe a dedicated funding stream for HIV priorities and is managed through an annual work plan and budget approved by the health minister. According to the report, roughly half of the fund is used for treatment, care and support, while a smaller share goes to prevention, with the rest covering logistics, coordination, monitoring and related functions.

The minister said domestic resources are meant to complement, not replace, Treasury funding and development partner support. He also pointed to mechanisms used to track spending and performance, including spending assessments, health accounts and routine reviews. The broader aim, as described in the article, is to ensure money reaches services and produces measurable results.

The exchange with Tanzania reflects a wider regional effort to protect HIV programmes from funding shocks. The report notes that both countries are exploring ways to mobilise local resources, while recognizing that financing models must be adapted to different economic and institutional settings.