When Wonder Mwatamawenyu tested positive for HIV over two decades ago, he feared he had signed his death warrant. Growing up in a society where HIV and AIDS were rampant in the 1980s and 1990s, and treatment was unavailable, his diagnosis in 2003 was met with shock and disbelief.
Mwatamawenyu, now 51 and a father of six, discovered his HIV status after attempting to donate blood at a local health facility near his home in Matika village, just outside Mutare in eastern Zimbabwe. “I was shocked. I did not believe it,” he recounted. He later fell ill, prompting health workers to encourage him to begin antiretroviral therapy (ART), which he has been taking since 2004. ART was first introduced in Zimbabwe that same year, marking a new chapter in HIV treatment.
Today, Mwatamawenyu is one of approximately 1.3 million people living with HIV in Zimbabwe. The landscape of HIV treatment has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. While early ART regimens involved multiple medications, treatment is now available in fixed-dose combinations, allowing patients to take just one or two pills daily. This treatment, though not a cure, is effective in halting the replication of the virus and has become a cornerstone of HIV care, particularly in low-income communities.
Despite the seriousness of the disease, ART has transformed HIV from a death sentence to a manageable condition. AIDS-related deaths in Zimbabwe peaked in the 1990s, and new infections were high in the early 2000s when Mwatamawenyu was diagnosed. However, interventions like ART and mother-to-child transmission prevention programs have led to a significant decline in these figures.
For those living with HIV, community support has been as vital as medical care. Mwatamawenyu, who is now a preacher, faced severe stigma when his congregants learned of his HIV status. “They thought I was dying. About 70 percent left,” he said, explaining that many believed he could transmit the virus through a handshake.
His family, however, stood by him, particularly his mother. His wife, who was HIV-negative, passed away in 2007 from an unrelated illness. Despite the challenges, Mwatamawenyu found solace in a support group for people living with HIV, which helped rebuild his self-esteem and gave him hope.
Ruth Mlambo, another group member, tested positive for HIV in 2002 after discovering her husband had been secretly taking ART medication. “He hid it from me. It was painful,” she said. After her husband’s death in 2004, Mlambo faced stigma and discrimination, particularly from her in-laws, who accused her of infidelity. Struggling with her health and the responsibility of raising school-aged children alone, she found herself in a desperate situation. Zimbabwe has made significant progress in the fight against HIV, recently achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets: 95 percent of people living with HIV diagnosed, 95 percent of
