By Tendai Makaripe
In Zimbabwe’s growing poultry industry, farmers flock to veterinary outlets to purchase day-old chicks in Mutare’s central business district.
Poultry farming has increasingly become a livelihood for many across rural and urban areas, as persistent droughts have forced people to abandon traditional crop farming.
While his shift provides a more stable income source, it has also introduced a silent threat—pharmaceutical waste mismanagement, accelerating the spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). This poses significant risks to human and animal health, threatening the future of Zimbabwe’s communities.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) refers to the process where bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve, becoming resistant to the drugs that once killed them.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), AMR makes infections harder to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.
As a result, simple infections could one day become untreatable.
The misuse of antibiotics in both human medicine and animal farming is a leading cause of AMR globally.
However, the crisis is exacerbated by improper pharmaceutical waste disposal, creating an urgent public health concern.
Research has shown that the country ranks among the top 10 countries in age-standardized mortality rates related to AMR, with a 2019 report from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation noting 3,900 deaths directly attributable to AMR and another 15,800 deaths associated with it.
Zimbabwe’s One Health Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan (2017-2021) identified improper disposal of pharmaceutical waste as a key AMR driver in rural and urban communities.
Many farmers are unaware of the public health risks their practices create.
Poultry farmers frequently overuse antibiotics, often without veterinary oversight, to treat sick birds or prevent disease outbreaks in overcrowded fowl runs.
This unregulated antibiotic use has led to the emergence of resistant bacterial strains, rendering common infections harder to treat in both animals and humans.
Farmers like Salan Chigarirano, a poultry farmer from Romsley outside Nyazura, have started experiencing the economic implications of AMR.
“We used to treat our chickens with basic antibiotics, but now, many still die after treatment. It’s affecting our income and making it harder to rely on poultry farming,” said Chigarirano.
“Rising poultry deaths are cutting into already-thin profit margins, further endangering livelihoods dependent on this sector.”
Zimbabwe’s pharmaceutical waste management infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, is lacking.
With few take-back programs or designated disposal sites for unused medicines, people are left to dispose of pharmaceutical waste improperly, leading to widespread contamination of water bodies and soil.
Veterinary vaccinologist Sandra Sigauke highlights the problem: “In rural areas, farmers dump expired or unused antibiotics into rivers or shallow pits, where they leach into the water and soil, favouring the growth of resistant bacterial strains.”
“In urban centres, expired medications are often discarded with household waste or flushed down toilets, contaminating municipal water supplies. This improper disposal extends beyond veterinary waste, affecting human health as well,” she said.
Sigauke added that shallow wells in urban and rural areas, which serve as a primary drinking water source for many, are increasingly contaminated by pharmaceutical residues, particularly from healthcare facilities and animal farms.
Healthcare workers on the frontlines are seeing first-hand the devastating effects of AMR.
Said a senior nurse in Buhera, who requested anonymity: “We have seen patients failing to respond to treatment for basic infections. We refer them to bigger hospitals for stronger, more expensive antibiotics, but many here cannot afford them.”
The growing prevalence of drug-resistant infections is placing additional strain on already overburdened rural healthcare systems.
One of the underlying drivers of this crisis is a lack of public awareness.
Many antibiotics are available over the counter without a prescription, especially in rural areas.
Farmers often misuse antibiotics without veterinary consultation, unaware that overuse can contribute to resistance.
Specialists note that many farmers dispose of leftover antibiotics by mixing them with regular household waste or dumping them into rivers, perpetuating the cycle of resistance.
According to microbiologist and AMR specialist Peter Katsande, comprehensive waste management policies are urgently needed.
“We need more investment in waste treatment facilities, especially in rural areas. Without proper disposal systems, people will continue to dispose of antibiotics in ways that contaminate the environment and promote resistance,” he said.
The environmental toll of pharmaceutical waste mismanagement is equally concerning.
Antibiotics leach into Zimbabwe’s rivers and soils, disrupting microbial communities and promoting the growth of resistant bacteria.
Under the Basel Convention, pharmaceutical waste is classified as hazardous, requiring careful handling to prevent environmental contamination.
However, enforcement of these regulations in Zimbabwe remains weak, especially in rural areas where access to proper waste management systems is limited and this has adverse effects.
According to WHO Assistant Regional Director Elizabeth Makubalo, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“AMR undermines efforts to combat poverty by increasing healthcare costs, as individuals are forced to spend more on treatments for infections that were once easily curable,” she said.
“Additionally, it hinders progress in the development of modern medicines, as drug-resistant infections make it more challenging to treat diseases effectively. AMR, therefore, not only impacts public health but also stifles economic growth and development efforts across communities.”
Efforts to regulate the use of antibiotics and enforce waste management standards have fallen short. A director from the Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife emphasised the need for stronger regulatory frameworks: “Pharmacies should be closely monitored to ensure antibiotics are not dispensed without prescriptions, and healthcare facilities need to adopt colour-coded waste segregation systems to ensure hazardous pharmaceutical waste is disposed of correctly.”
These regulatory shortcomings are exacerbating the problem of AMR, particularly in rural areas where oversight is minimal.
Without proper waste segregation and the development of local waste treatment facilities, pharmaceutical waste will continue to contaminate the environment and promote the spread of AMR.
Beyond its human health toll, AMR is an economic burden. WHO estimates that by 2050, AMR could cost the global economy up to $100 trillion, and Zimbabwe is not immune to this economic impact.
Economist Benedict Marufu said: “When antibiotics stop working, farmers lose their livestock, which directly impacts their income. This has a ripple effect on food security and poverty levels across the country.”
With healthcare systems already stretched, the rising costs of treating resistant infections are also placing an unsustainable burden on Zimbabwe’s economy.
Hospitals are struggling to meet the demand for stronger, more expensive antibiotics, and patients often cannot afford the life-saving treatments they need.
Zimbabwe can draw inspiration from international best practices to combat pharmaceutical waste mismanagement.
For example, Australia’s National Return of Unwanted Medicines (NatRUM) scheme allows citizens to return unused or expired medications to pharmacies for safe disposal.
A similar program in Zimbabwe, awareness campaigns, and government incentives could help mitigate the country’s waste problem.
Public-private partnerships could also play a role. Countries like The Netherlands have implemented pharmaceutical waste treatment plants that process both medical and veterinary waste.
With its growing reliance on antibiotics in animal farming, Zimbabwe could benefit from investing in local waste treatment infrastructure to limit exposure to resistant bacteria and improve public health outcomes.
Director at the African Union – InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Huyam Salih said
“Addressing the AMR crisis requires a holistic approach that integrates human health, animal health, and environmental management, known as the One Health approach. While this framework has been adopted, more must be done to ensure proper implementation,” she said.
Environmental health analyst Hensley Jesman advocates for inclusive waste management policies enforced through regular inspections and penalties for non-compliance.
Creating proper disposal facilities, especially in rural areas, will help reduce the amount of pharmaceutical waste that contaminates our environment,” said Jesman.
Education and public awareness campaigns are essential to changing community behaviour.
Many people do not realise the dangers posed by improper pharmaceutical disposal.
Public health campaigns, combined with training programs for farmers on the responsible use of antibiotics, could help reduce the spread of AMR in Zimbabwe.
AMR represents not just a public health crisis but also an economic and environmental threat to Zimbabwe’s future.
The One Health approach provides a framework for tackling this multifaceted issue, but it requires collective action at every level—from local farmers to national policymakers.
Without immediate intervention, Zimbabwe risks facing a future where simple infections become untreatable, the livelihoods of small-scale farmers are destroyed, and healthcare costs skyrocket. However, by adopting global best practices, investing in waste management infrastructure, and promoting public awareness, Zimbabwe can turn the tide on AMR and build a healthier, more sustainable future for its communities.
