HARARE: Sex workers in Zimbabwe are facing increased health risks following the abrupt withdrawal of United States foreign health aid earlier this year.
President Donald Trump’s decision to cut funding has severely impacted clinics that previously provided free condoms, antiretrovirals and basic healthcare services.
Sharon Mukakanhanga, a 43-year-old sex worker, revealed she has resorted to using baby socks as makeshift condoms when desperate.
“These little socks served as condoms when I became so desperate after the American government withdrew its support from my all-time go-to safe haven,” she told AFP.
Official government figures show AIDS-related deaths increased to 5,932 in the first half of 2025 compared to 5,712 during the same period last year.
Cecilia Ruzvidzo, a 47-year-old HIV-positive sex worker and mother of four, described the immediate impact of the funding withdrawal.
“It was a very difficult period. I literally lost my mind,” she said, recalling receiving only 10 days’ worth of antiretrovirals during her last clinic visit.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders reported their clinics in Harare suburbs are now overwhelmed with patients seeking services.
Project lead Charlotte Pignon stated that while direct causation is difficult to prove, the impact of US funding cuts cannot be ignored.
Wonder Mufunda, chief executive of the Centre for Humanitarian Analytics, confirmed the US had previously provided approximately $522 million in support with $90 million directed to HIV programmes.
Zimbabwe’s economic crisis is pushing more women into sex work, with an estimated 40,500 currently engaged in the trade nationwide.
Competition has driven prices down to as low as 50 US cents per client, making condoms unaffordable for many sex workers.
Twenty-year-old Cleopatra Katsande explained that reduced earnings have eroded workers’ ability to insist on safer sex practices.
Ruzvidzo acknowledged the dangers of using improvised protection but stated she had no choice when needing to feed her children.
“We knew it wasn’t safe,” she said of using baby socks, adding that clients “don’t think straight” in such moments. – AFP
