By A Correspondent – The Chipinge Residents and Ratepayers Trust (CRRT) and the Youth Empowerment and Skills Development Association (YESDA) have sounded the alarm over a looming public health disaster following the closure of key sexual and reproductive health service providers. CRRT Team Leader Allanviny Murozvi warned that the district is now confronting a compounded HIV crisis that demands urgent intervention from government and civic society.

The shutdown of FACT and CeSHHAR Zimbabwe facilities, triggered by the withdrawal of USAID funding, has left thousands without access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. Murozvi said the closures come at the worst possible time, as infections among young women and girls continue to rise.

“We call upon government, civic society, and development partners to urgently step in and restore these services. The closure of FACT and CeSHHAR has left a dangerous gap that exposes our youth and women to heightened risks,” Murozvi said.

Compounding the crisis, the Mutandahwe mining corridor has become a hotspot for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV. The influx of miners and truck drivers linked to copper, gold, and scheelite extraction by Chinese nationals associated with Rio Zimbabwe has created a booming economy but also heightened vulnerabilities. Community visits by Vemuganga Community Radio, FAWEZ, and the Chipinge Vulnerable Interventions Program (CVIP) revealed transactional sex, unsafe relationships, and rising teen pregnancies around mining camps.
Local testimonies highlight how poverty and hunger are pushing young women into risky survival strategies, echoing warnings from the National Aids Council (NAC) in Checheche and Mwanyisa. Advocacy groups fear that without reproductive health services, the mining corridor could become a “red zone” for new infections.

The crisis is mirrored in Bikita, where YESDA has been monitoring the social impact of lithium mining at Bikita Minerals. The influx of workers and rapid economic shifts have triggered similar patterns of transactional sex and STI risks. YESDA warns that without targeted interventions, mining-linked vulnerabilities could spiral into a district-wide health emergency.

Civil society organisations are now rallying for emergency funding, mobile clinics, and expanded community-based interventions to fill the gap. Stakeholders argue that Chipinge and Bikita cannot afford to lose frontline services at a time when highway economies and mining activities are fuelling a dangerous surge in HIV and STIs.

As these districts balance economic opportunity with social vulnerability, residents fear they could become epicentres of a new HIV wave unless urgent measures are taken to restore and strengthen reproductive health services.