Zimbabwe 2024 © MSF

Zimbabwe

Delivering health care to underserved communities, including people living with HIV and artisanal miners

Update

Why youth participation is crucial to MSF’s work in Mbare, Zimbabwe

February 23, 2026 — At just 21 years old, Thormilson Thompson carries a responsibility far greater than his age might suggest: He is a member of an adolescents advisory committee that is an integral part of the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health program in Zimbabwe. Together with a small group of peers, he helps MSF respond to the real needs of adolescents — including sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and general medical care — in Mbare and two other Harare suburbs, Matapi and Epworth.

Our work in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) runs projects to increase access to health care for underserved groups, such as adolescents, people who engage in sex work, and artisanal mining communities.

Nurse-led approach model for NCDs patients

How we're helping in Zimbabwe

In Gwanda, MSF provides medical care to artisanal miners, their families, and host communities through mobile clinics. People in this hard-to-reach area are exposed to health risks linked to unsafe working conditions, a lack of local health facilities, and other barriers to care, such as affordability. MSF runs a range of medical services at 36 mining locations, including general health care, treatment for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), silicosis, mental health conditions, and health promotion. Silicosis is a lung disease that typically affects people working in construction, mining, and stone cutting. To facilitate earlier detection and diagnosis of TB and silicosis in these remote communities, we introduced a portable X-ray and computer-aided detection system.

MSF also runs a peer-led model for mental health care, recruiting peer educators who are integrated in the community and can refer people to MSF for mental health services.  

In the densely populated settlements of Mbare and Epworth in Harare, the capital, MSF offers youth-friendly, one-stop sexual and reproductive health services addressing the evolving health needs of adolescents and young people. We offer testing and treatment for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, as well as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), counseling, and mental health support. Through our peer-led community participation model, we  work to reduce barriers to access, promote continuity of care, and strengthen adolescents’ agency in managing their health.  

We continue to adapt our medical and operational approaches to reach underserved communities in Zimbabwe, reinforcing our commitment to equitable access to health care. 

How we're helping

28,500

Outpatient consultations

4,380

Consultations for contraceptive services

410

Individual mental health consultations

260

People receiving HIV antiretroviral treatment

*Data from MSF International Activity Report 2025

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How you can help

Not everyone can treat patients in the field. But everyone can do something.

Some humanitarian crises make the headlines—others don’t. Unrestricted support from our donors allows us to mobilize quickly and efficiently to provide lifesaving medical care to the people who need it most, whether those needs are in the spotlight or not. And your donation is 100 percent tax-deductible.