The discovery of stolen ARVs being used on chickens in Zimbabwe is not just a scandal it is a public health catastrophe waiting to happen. In November 2024, police in Harare intercepted a consignment of 317 boxes of expired first-line ARVs destined for the black market. No one said anything about this. Zimbabwean authorities arrested two suspects for smuggling 700,000 tablets of TLD a combination of tenofovir, lamivudine, and dolutegravir which were to be used as growth stimulants for chickens . The criminals, who bought them at 70% discount, were selling the drugs to poultry farmers for US10 per tablet by the time they reached the streets .
The use of ARVs in poultry is not just a new phenomenon. In 2021, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development raised serious concerns about "the illegal and widespread use of ARVs as growth stimulants in the poultry industry," specifically singling out Zimbabwe . The misuse is driven by a "misconception" that ARVs somehow promote growth in poultry, when in fact the drugs have no such effect, guys this was 2021 and our government did nothing to protect us.
But the real danger lies in the public health risk. This widespread misuse could accelerate the development of drug resistance, threatening not just Zimbabwe's HIV/AIDS treatment programme, but global efforts to combat the epidemic . As one source warned, "the problem is that if they start developing drug resistance, all the steps Africa has taken in terms of combating HIV/AIDS could be thrown to the dogs" . Zimbabwe's HIV prevalence in adults is estimated at 11.8% , representing over 1.2 million people on treatment . The drugs that could be rendered ineffective by resistance cost millions to procure and distribute, and a second-line regimen is exponentially more expensive .
The scale of the problem is staggering. In 2024, the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health revealed that up to 100,000 people were infected with HIV due to ARV shortages, driven by theft and corruption in the supply chain . The Ministry of Health acknowledged that the government did not have "a handle" on the problem, suggesting systemic corruption and theft . Health activists in Zimbabwe have warned that using ARVs as chicken feed "could lead to the development of drug-resistant HIV among people" . The Permanent Secretary for Health confirmed that this theft was "prevalent" and "a major concern" .
The consequences will be felt far beyond Zimbabwe's borders.
Immigration lawyer Craig Smith unpacks the drama surrounding former Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina's South African citizenship and the legal protections she can claim. He says Adetshina can no longer claim South African citizenship because her mother's citizenship was revoked. Smith says that since Adetshina is disqualified from holding any South African visa, she is not entitled to be in the country.
Watch: https://t.co/2HBulNDDt3
#Newzroom405
Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi says the petition that two Ghanaian nationals had submitted to the International Criminal Court asking it to examine years of xenophobic violence in South Africa, has failed. She was speaking at an Interministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration media briefing in Pretoria. Tune in to #eNCA, channel #DStv403.
South Africa's 12-year-old Lubanzi Dube defeats 400 competitors to win the top prize at the World Start Up Forum in Switzerland 🇨🇭.
His innovation, SolEase helps tackle foot health challenges.
Another Nigerian caught selling drugs in South Africa 🇿🇦 is this the pan africanism y’all are talking about???
How do drugs benefit black children of South Africa??? Is this the love you are bringing to fellow black Africans???
You leave your Nigeria just to come & destroy your brother’s children & according to your leaders, we should do nothing & let you be!
“There’s actually a lot that Nigerians do that’s wrong in South Africa...” 🫢
A Nigerian pastor who lived in South Africa for 16 years is disappointing his fellow Nigerians after exposing the truth about ‘Nigerian hustlers’ in the country.
He mentioned a few.
Let’s repost since we know that all the news channels won’t report about the Congolese man who stabbed a South African woman 40 times @Newzroom405@SABCNews@eNCA . We will do what you are failing to do .
Africans who are always preaching Pan Africanism and "One Africa," now is the time to show that support, not only when you're criticizing South Africans. This is a cause worth fighting for.
Alot of foreigners are posting and sharing lies about South Africa as a way of monetizing and earning on X, they know South Africans will react to those posts.
It’s time we start retaliating by reporting those profiles instead of commenting and explaining!
They always knew it’s the illegal foreigners they hire in their farms that kill them. It was just easier for them to blame black South Africans because that removes them from accountability. @afriforum knows this.
They asked me why I hate Foreigners,, this is the reason because they are not human being,,, they are animals deserve to live in the forest
March and March