*“HIV Doesn’t Check Passports,” Chin’ono Warns South Africa Of Crisis Over ARV Cuts To Foreign Nationals* Renowned Zimbabwean journalist and activist Hopewell Chin’ono has sounded the alarm over a growing medical crisis in South Africa, warning that the country’s decision to cut off undocumented foreign nationals from access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment risks triggering a regional public health disaster. Chin’ono described the situation as “a massive medical crisis brewing,” stressing that if approached emotionally rather than rationally, the consequences could unravel decades of progress made in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. He said: Many Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals who were receiving antiretroviral medication funded by America have been left with nowhere to turn for this life-saving treatment. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDbHKp3GJOtlMM4PA39 https://wa.me/263718497005?text=advert Here is a very important point that both South Africans and African leaders must bear in mind: This medication made it possible for people to have sex without infecting each other. If you deny foreign nationals access to antiretroviral medication because of their immigration status, they will end up sleeping with locals and infecting them too. This is not an emotional issue, it is a scientific one that leaders must handle with care, or else years of HIV mitigation work will be undone in a short space of time. South Africa, host to the region’s largest population of migrants, has come under increasing pressure domestically to tighten public spending and prioritise citizens. In response, some health authorities have begun restricting access to free ARV medication for undocumented immigrants, a move Chin’ono warns could backfire disastrously. Said Chin’ono: Viruses do not check passports. If the goal is a healthier South Africa, denying treatment to neighbours in need will backfire on everyone. We need a practical solution, one that protects South African resources while ensuring that no one becomes a public health risk due to neglect. Chin’ono acknowledged the sensitivities around illegal immigration but questioned whether denying essential healthcare was a morally or medically sound solution. He said: Yes, we do not support illegal immigration, but should we expose many innocent locals to the virus just to make a point? This will affect both the undocumented immigrants and the local population. Nobody wins. Chin’ono called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to convene an emergency session to address the crisis, stressing that the issue goes beyond borders and political affiliations. He said: SADC must urgently convene to address this growing crisis, which threatens not only the health of foreign nationals but also the broader public health stability of the region. He also criticised the South African government, particularly the ANC, for what he described as years of complicity in enabling the continued rule of Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF regime. Said Chin’ono: For years, warnings have been issued to the ANC about the dangers of propping up Zimbabwe’s corrupt ZANUPF regime, and now the consequences are beginning to spill over South Africa’s borders. Beyond the immediate health risk, Chin’ono warned of a deeper social fallout, including the rise of underground markets for ARVs. He said: Some South Africans will end up selling their own medication, endangering their lives, and hospitals and clinics will eventually become entangled in a corrupt network trading these medicines. This is indeed a delicate and complex situation that requires careful consideration and rational decision-making from all parties involved. Chin’ono stressed that denying access to ARVs based on immigration status is not just an ethical failure but a dangerous gamble with public health. He said: Denying access to life-saving antiretroviral medication to foreign nationals, including Zimbabweans, based on their immigration status is not only an infringement of basic human rights but also poses a significant public health risk to South Africans. Failure to address this issue promptly and effectively will have devastating consequences for public health in South Africa and the region.