Zimbabwe chicken farms illegally feed antiretroviral drugs to boost growth

In Harare, some poultry farmers are mixing antiretroviral (ARV) medicines, which are prescribed for HIV patients, into chicken feed and water. The practice is carried out to accelerate growth, reduce mortality from diseases such as Newcastle disease, and increase profit margins. Farmers obtain the drugs on the black market from a hospital health worker who supplies a network of peddlers. The Southern Africa Accountability Journalism Project (SA AJP) documented the scheme, interviewing a farmer who used a combination of tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir (TLD) in her broiler operation.

Health experts warn that consumption of meat containing ARV residues could potentially affect HIV treatment efficacy or promote drug resistance, although direct evidence in humans is limited. Similar illegal use of ARVs in poultry has been reported in Tanzania and Uganda, but the Zimbabwean situation had not been widely exposed until now. Authorities have not yet confirmed any regulatory response, and the practice remains unlawful and a possible public‑health threat.