Zimbabwean chicken farmers feed ARVs to poultry in illicit growth-stimulant scheme

Zimbabwean chicken farmers are systematically buying black-market antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) intended for HIV patients to mix into poultry feed, the Daily Maverick reported. Industry insiders say the practice is driven by a belief that the drugs act as a potent growth stimulant and disease shield, enabling quicker turnaround and reducing stock mortality. The illicit diversion of life-saving medication to maximize profits in the poultry sector reveals a severe regulatory enforcement gap and a public health supply chain under silent assault.