At a glance
CDC's office in Zimbabwe, established in 2000, collaborates with the Government of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and other partners to build effective public health systems and capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to public health threats. CDC leverages its partnerships and support in HIV to strengthen health systems, respond to outbreaks, and improve global health security. CDC's work aims to protect the health of Americans and support public health around the world.
Key accomplishments
- Supported the development and implementation of the national electronic health record system, facilitating patient care, and public health surveillance and reporting of HIV and other infectious diseases.
- Improved HIV viral load testing to over one million tests annually, giving access to monitoring treatment outcomes for all people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Zimbabwe.
- Established the Frontline Field Epidemiology Program that trains scientists to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats, including enhanced border surveillance.
- Leveraged expertise across CDC to assist Zimbabwe in responding to public health threats, such as monkeypox, polio, and cholera.
- Established real-time municipal water quality monitoring system in two of the largest cities in Zimbabwe to prevent future cholera and other waterborne disease outbreaks.
- Supported the introduction of safe, effective, and more convenient long-acting medications to prevent HIV infection among at-risk groups.
Global health security
CDC's global health security investment, through its support for HIV, aims to strengthen Zimbabwe's public health capabilities. CDC is helping MoHCC to strengthen laboratory diagnostic services, surveillance, data and health information systems, and workforce capacity to rapidly prevent, detect, and respond to global health threats.
Laboratory systems strengthening
CDC has supported the MoHCC to improve the quality and capacity of diagnostic services for multi-disease detection. Fifteen public health laboratories, including the national microbiology and TB reference labs have achieved ISO 15189 accreditation. An integrated national laboratory external quality assessment program and a state-of-the-art national calibration center have been established. CDC has also helped to develop a robust integrated sample transport network, which combined with the electronic laboratory information system, facilitates the timely return of laboratory results for improved clinical services.
Surveillance and health information systems
CDC supports the development and implementation of a national, integrated electronic health record system (E-HR), which combines pharmacy, laboratory, and clinical services data to facilitate efficient and quality patient care. The E-HR system also enables access to more timely and complete data for public health surveillance and reporting for HIV and other infectious diseases. CDC's partners support the maintenance and use of the E-HR system for clinical care across health care facilities in Zimbabwe. CDC supports the use of E-HR data to guide public health programming and allocation of resources, ensuring populations with greatest need are served. Systems strengthening will help Zimbabwe maintain HIV epidemic control and improve its capacity to respond to emerging health threats.
Workforce development
CDC leverages systems and partnerships established in achieving HIV epidemic control to help strengthen public health capacity at district, provincial, and national levels. CDC is providing technical expertise for the establishment of a National Public Health Institute, which will provide leadership and coordination of essential public health functions more effectively nationwide.
The Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) was established in Zimbabwe in 1993. CDC has supported the program in training frontline professionals to be disease detectives, acquiring skills in surveillance, data analysis, and outbreak response. This training strengthens Zimbabwe's ability to respond to emerging diseases in diverse settings, including at ports of entry.
HIV and TB
As a key implementer of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC plays an essential role in the fight against HIV and TB. With unmatched scientific and technical knowledge and long-standing relationships with ministries of health, CDC is uniquely positioned to advance HIV, TB, and other global health security activities that keep Americans safe at home and abroad.
Through PEPFAR, CDC provides critical support to Zimbabwe's public health infrastructure, improving the country's ability to prevent, detect, and respond to HIV, TB, and other infectious diseases and minimizing their risk from entering the U.S.
Non-communicable diseases
HIV remains an important risk factor for cervical cancer. Women living with HIV are up to 5 times more likely to develop cervical cancer. CDC is increasing access to cervical cancer screening and treatment among women 25 years and older through a test–triage–and–treat approach that includes innovative Human Papilloma Virus DNA testing to improve early detection and save lives.
![[thumbnail] (hidden)](/global-health/media/images/2025/12/Zimbabwe_thumbnail.jpg)