Having been perceived by colonial officials as an ‘unsafe’ region for human settlement during the first half of the 19^th century, northwest Zimbabwe presents a fascinating space to explore consequent medical interventions to sanitise the region. The ambition of colonial state medical projects saw the establishment of biomedical infrastructures like tsetse gates, roads, fences and clinics, as well as the introduction of tsetse and mosquito eradication campaigns such as game elimination, bush clearing and aerial spaying.