Staff Reporter
Cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) have risen sharply in Kwekwe, with health officials citing a decrease in condom uptake as a major concern.
A Kwekwe full council meeting revealed that 306 cases were recorded in January only with December registering 252 cases.
Speaking during a full Kwekwe City Council meeting on Thursday, Councillor Kudakwashe Gwamuri inquired about the increase in STI cases.
In response, Kwekwe City Council director of health services, Dr. Munyaradzi Murwira, acknowledged the spike, attributing it to a decline in condom uptake.
“Since November, December, and January, the cases have increased, but we keep on carrying out health awareness campaigns. The condoms are there—I do not know why there is low uptake, but we will look at the issue of why people are not accessing condoms,” Dr. Murwira said.
The meeting revealed that 306 STI cases were reported in January 2025, compared to 252 cases in December 2024, reflecting a 21.4 percent increase. At the same time, the number of male condoms distributed dropped significantly from 46,200 in December 2024 to 10,897 in January 2025, marking a staggering 76.4 percent decline. Female condom uptake also recorded a 38 percent decrease.
The decrease was attributed to a shortage of condoms which Dr Murwira said the situation is most likely to worsen given the funding cuts to USAID supported programmes.
Recently the world was thrown in turmoil following declarations by U.S. President Donald Trump that his government was significantly reducing global health funding, including support for family planning and HIV/AIDS initiatives. Many local health programmes, particularly those dependent on USAID funding, have started showing struggles to maintain their services.
Despite the challenges, the National AIDS Council (NAC) has assured the public that HIV medicines will continue to be made available through the AIDS Levy. However, health experts have warned that without adequate prevention measures, the fight against HIV and other STIs could be severely undermined.
