Malaria Surge in Zimbabwe Amid Funding Cuts
Harare, Zimbabwe – Precious Mvundura awoke one chilly autumn morning battling joint pain, a high fever, and a relentless headache. At first, the 37-year-old dismissed it as just the flu. However, when the headache lingered for three days, her concern grew.
Her five-year-old son was also feeling unwell, drenched in sweat. In early May, they turned to a village health worker in Chishakwe, a rural area near Mutare, Zimbabwe’s third-largest city. They both tested positive for malaria.
“I felt relieved,” Mvundura shared. “Once I started the medication, I could feel myself getting better.” Her son, too, has bounced back and is back at school.
But their experience comes amid rising malaria cases and fatalities in Zimbabwe, largely attributed to funding cuts from the United States that have disrupted vital malaria control programs.
After beginning a second term in 2025, US President Donald Trump significantly reduced foreign aid, impacting programs like those from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In Zimbabwe, these cuts have disrupted initiatives addressing tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria prevention and treatment.
Several key programs were affected, including the Zimbabwe Entomological Support Programme in Malaria (ZENTO) at Africa University in Mutare, which provided vital scientific research for the National Malaria Control Programme. The Zimbabwe Assistance Programme in Malaria II (ZAPIM II) also played a role in boosting malaria diagnosis, treatment, and prevention efforts in high-burden areas.
In 2024, USAID had allocated $270 million for health and agriculture initiatives in Zimbabwe. However, malaria cases surged to 65,399 between January and April 2026, a significant climb from 36,000 the previous year and 17,000 in 2024, according to the Ministry of Health’s weekly surveillance report.
Deaths have similarly spiked, with 174 fatalities reported in early 2026 compared to 85 during the same timeframe last year and just 34 in 2024. Thankfully, Mvundura and her son survived due to prompt treatment, while many others have not been as fortunate.
Shortages of Mosquito Nets and Test Kits
Thomas Chuchu, the health program lead at Save the Children Zimbabwe, noted that various malaria elimination activities once funded by ZAPIM II have been disrupted.
“While elimination efforts continue through government and other partners, the operational capacity has weakened, leading to slower implementation,” Chuchu explained.
The ZAPIM II initiative was integrated into Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health system targeting 11 districts across Central and East Mashonaland and Matabeleland North provinces. Mvundura confessed that before falling ill, she hadn’t been using mosquito nets or repellents.
“I first started using a mosquito net that a friend lent me after I got sick,” she admitted.
In December 2025, Caroline Mawombedzi was diagnosed with malaria in Burma Valley, close to Mutare. The last time she had contracted the disease was in her childhood. In mid-May, her five-year-old daughter was similarly diagnosed by a village health worker after experiencing severe headaches and stomach issues.
Although her daughter received treatment, Mawombedzi lamented that she couldn’t afford preventive measures, like mosquito nets. “I’m unemployed. I can’t buy a mosquito net. We haven’t been using one for years,” she shared.
Virginia Chakandinakira, a village health worker in Chishakwe, highlighted that supplies of malaria diagnostic kits and medications are increasingly scarce. “I used to receive plenty of test kits and drugs,” she noted. “But in 2025, there was nothing. I had to refer everyone showing symptoms to a nearby clinic.” She received limited supplies only in February, which were earmarked for so-called hotspot communities.
Research Programs Crippled
Professor Sungano Mharakurwa, director at Africa University’s Malaria Institute, expressed concern about the abrupt cessation of US support, which has worsened the malaria situation. ZENTO was collecting data on malaria-carrying mosquitoes, contributing to strategies for the National Malaria Control Programme.
The funding cuts have also effectively halted the US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a program established by former President George W. Bush in 2005 to control malaria globally. Mharakurwa stressed that the PMI significantly aided in providing malaria medications, leaving communities vulnerable in its absence.
Afterward, the Malaria Institute received some funding from the United Methodist Church, but it fell notably short of previous US assistance.
Zimbabwe’s heavy reliance on donor funding for essential medicines and supplies has left it exposed. Itai Rusike, director of Zimbabwe’s Community Working Group on Health, emphasized the need for the government to strengthen local health financing to reduce this dependency.
“Relying heavily on external partners poses risks, as their support can be withdrawn whenever their interests change,” he noted.
Climate Change Fuels Spread
Experts point out that climate change is exacerbating the spread of malaria and other vector-borne illnesses in Africa. Rising temperatures are permitting malaria to encroach on higher altitudes that were previously less prone to outbreaks.
Zimbabwe faced the impacts of El Niño between 2023 and 2024, a climate phenomenon that disrupts rainfall patterns, followed by heavy rains in 2025 and 2026—all creating ideal conditions for mosquito breeding.
Chuchu attributed the current spike in malaria cases to the heavy rains during the 2025–2026 season. “These rains set up the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, especially in already problem provinces like Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, and others,” he noted.
“The effects of heavy rains seem amplified by weakened prevention measures, such as reduced mosquito-net access and delayed vector-control actions,” he added.
Mharakurwa pointed out that unusual rainfall necessitates strong preparation to manage malaria transmission effectively.
Government Efforts
Zimbabwe has set its sights on eliminating malaria by 2030, in line with a target established by the African Union. Over the years, the government, alongside international donors, has implemented indoor spraying, distributed mosquito nets, conducted mass testing, and heightened public awareness to curb outbreaks, particularly in rural areas.
Health workers continue to spray indoors in malaria-prone regions, while village educators are utilizing community meetings and radio programs to promote early testing and treatment. Enhanced surveillance and rapid-response systems in high-risk areas have also been introduced.
However, many efforts have suffered due to disruptions in donor-funded programs. Activities previously supported by ZAPIM II included active case tracking and targeted distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets.
For years, the government and aid organizations have distributed mosquito nets annually to at-risk communities like Chishakwe. Yet, following the US funding cuts, shortages in supply have become commonplace.
Additionally, malaria diagnostic kits and treatment medications are becoming scarce in some rural regions, requiring patients to travel further for testing and care.
Health experts warn that without urgent attention to funding shortages, Zimbabwe may lose years of progress in reducing malaria rates and related deaths.
For Mvundura and her son, overcoming malaria felt akin to dodging a bullet. “We cheated death,” she reflected. “It was really tough.”
