By Michael Gwarisa A scabies outbreak has spread through Harare's overcrowded informal settlements, with health authorities confirming 70 cases in Hopley and Stoneridge, raising fresh concerns about the health risks posed by rapid urbanisation and poor living conditions. While the City of Harare recently alerted residents to the outbreak, HealthTimes
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has staged one of the region's most remarkable immunisation recoveries, with HPV vaccine coverage soaring from just six percent in 2022 to 90 percent in 2025, making it the second-highest performer in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The latest figures from the 2025 World Health
By Michael Gwarisa The Government has acknowledged that financial barriers are preventing some pregnant women from accessing life-saving maternal healthcare and says it is finalising legislation that will introduce free healthcare for every Zimbabwean citizen and resident. Responding to concerns raised in Parliament, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr
By Michael Gwarisa Every day in 2025, nearly 17 Zimbabwean babies died every day before reaching one month of life. By the end of the year, the country had lost 6,177 newborns, a heartbreaking toll that translates to almost 119 babies every week. Put another way, it is as if,
By Kuda Pembere The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has engaged social media content creators to help curb the illegal advertising of medicines, warning that influencers increasingly shape public health decisions. The awareness meeting, held on Wednesday, brought together creators from Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube amid growing
By Michael Gwarisa Scientists have launched the world's first clinical trial to determine whether an experimental antiviral drug can prevent people exposed to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus from developing the deadly disease, offering new hope as an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda
By Kuda Pembere Newly elected Rotary Club of Chitungwiza president Solomon Bamusi has pledged to strengthen the club's community health and humanitarian programmes, with a renewed focus on expanding access to healthcare and mentorship for young people. Bamusi, who was installed as president on Friday for a one-year term, said
By Michael Gwarisa The Democratic Republic of Congo's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is accelerating at an alarming pace, with infections surging by 25% in just one week as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned that the virus is spreading faster than response efforts can keep up.
By Michael Gwarisa Malawi has received its first shipment of lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable HIV prevention medicine, with enough doses expected to protect 38,000 people, marking another milestone in Africa's rollout of one of the most significant advances in HIV prevention in decades. The arrival of the first of two
By Michael Gwarisa WHO has officially declared the recent hantavirus outbreak over after the last person known to have been exposed to the virus completed quarantine and tested negative. Announcing the development, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the final identified contact linked to the outbreak had safely
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has received cervical cancer diagnostic equipment and cholera treatment tents worth approximately US$350,000 from the World Health Organization (WHO), a major boost to the country's efforts to strengthen cancer care and emergency disease response. The cervical cancer equipment was secured under the Women Integrated Cancer Services
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has become the first country in Africa and only the fourth globally to attain the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) Maturity Level 4, the highest international standard for medicines regulation. The milestone was revealed on Wednesday by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr
By Michael Gwarisa HARARE – Zimbabwe's commitment to investing domestic resources in family planning is paying dividends, with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) increasing its financial support for reproductive health commodities under a financing arrangement now being recognised as a regional success story. Speaking during a visit to the
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe will begin using revenue collected from sugar-sweetened beverages and fast-food taxes to finance nutrition programmes and tackle the growing burden of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) following Cabinet's approval of the National Nutrition Financing Strategy. The strategy, presented by Vice President General (Rtd) Dr. Constantino
By Kuda Pembere in Mashonaland West When 23-year-old Mai Audrey switched to Sayana Press after struggling with side effects from another contraceptive, she simply wanted a family planning method that worked for her. She never imagined her experience would encourage other women in her community to make the same choice.
By Staff Reporter River Valley Group directors Eng. Dr. Mncedisi Dube and Amb. Prof. Smelly Dube were among the recipients of the Top 100 Most Notable Peace Icons of Africa 2026 awards at a continental summit held in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco, on June 27, 2026. The recognition, conferred by
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe will, for the first time, host the Fourth Annual Reproductive Justice Litigation Baraza, marking the first occasion the continental conference has been held outside Uganda since its inception four years ago. Running from August 3 to 7, 2026 in Harare under the theme "Age as a
By Kuda Pembere Stakeholders in Zimbabwe's healthcare sector have called for stronger collaboration among health insurers, healthcare providers, patients, regulators, government and law enforcement agencies to curb healthcare fraud, warning that fraudulent practices are draining resources meant for patient care. The call was made during the Association of Healthcare Funders
By Michael Gwarisa A groundbreaking Zimbabwean study has revealed that older people living with HIV have significantly poorer bone health than their HIV-negative peers, with women facing an even greater risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering debilitating fractures as they age. Published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research,
By Alice Mudzingwa The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has been crowned champions of the 2026 SayWhat National Universities Quiz Challenge after defeating teams from 16 other universities in a fiercely contested competition that brought together 34 students from across Zimbabwe. Held over two days, the competition tested
By Michael Gwarisa in Goromonzi A hush settled over the grounds of Goromonzi High School on a chilly Monday morning in the third week of June 2026 as government officials, development partners, traditional leaders, health workers and students gathered to launch Zimbabwe's National Multi-Sectoral Framework for the Prevention and Management
By Michael Gwarisa The Southern African Doctors for Human Rights (SADHR) and Amnesty International have called for urgent protection of migrants, refugees and foreign nationals in South Africa amid escalating violence, discrimination and human rights violations. The organisations expressed deep concern over reports of attacks, intimidation, forced internal displacement and
By Staff Reporter Cimas Health Group has opened registration for Cimas Healthathon 3.0, inviting innovators across Zimbabwe to develop practical, technology-driven solutions aimed at improving healthcare access, affordability and service delivery. Running under the theme “Reimagining Healthcare Through Disruptive Innovation,” the challenge targets innovation hubs, start-ups, university technology teams, software
By Michael Gwarisa in Gweru Traditional leaders have called for the alignment of Zimbabwe’s laws with customary law, arguing that this would empower chiefs to take stronger action against child marriages in their communities. They say the current legal system is undermining their efforts, as cases they help build at
By Staff Reporter After years of delays, debate and thousands of public submissions, the Portfolio Committee on Health on Wednesday voted in favour of the desirability of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. However, several MPs made it clear their support is dependent on significant amendments, particularly
By Alice Mudzingwa At least 34 students from 17 private and public tertiary institutions across Zimbabwe have gathered in Harare for the 8th edition of the Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) National Universities Quiz Challenge. The prestigious two-day competition, which began today at the SAYWHAT
By Michael Gwarisa What began as a youth-led campaign in one province is increasingly evolving into a national movement reshaping how traditional leaders respond to child marriage across Zimbabwe. From roadside billboards carrying anti-child marriage messages to new village by-laws, and strengthened accountability systems, chiefs say the Not In My
By Kuda Pembere in Mash Central On a cool Monday morning, Christabel Chiweso arrives at Wadzanayi Clinic, a health facility run by the Shamva Rural District Council. This time, she is not seeking a family planning method for herself. Instead, she has accompanied her sister-in-law, who wants to start using
By Kuda Pembere Stakeholders in Zimbabwe's healthcare sector have called for stronger collaboration among health insurers, healthcare providers, patients, regulators, government and law enforcement agencies to curb healthcare fraud, warning
By Michael Gwarisa A groundbreaking Zimbabwean study has revealed that older people living with HIV have significantly poorer bone health than their HIV-negative peers, with women facing an even greater
By Alice Mudzingwa The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has been crowned champions of the 2026 SayWhat National Universities Quiz Challenge after defeating teams from 16 other universities
By Michael Gwarisa in Goromonzi A hush settled over the grounds of Goromonzi High School on a chilly Monday morning in the third week of June 2026 as government officials,
By Michael Gwarisa The Southern African Doctors for Human Rights (SADHR) and Amnesty International have called for urgent protection of migrants, refugees and foreign nationals in South Africa amid escalating
By Staff Reporter Cimas Health Group has opened registration for Cimas Healthathon 3.0, inviting innovators across Zimbabwe to develop practical, technology-driven solutions aimed at improving healthcare access, affordability and service