By Michael Gwarisa For Dr Neddy Fungisai Makonza, the journey to becoming an orthopaedic surgeon began long before she entered a medical school or stepped into an operating theatre. It began in childhood, when her late mother would call her “Doctor Neddy”, a name that would eventually become a reality

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe abolished a law that criminalised HIV transmission four years ago. But a recent traditional court case in Shamva has raised fresh questions about whether people living with or affected by HIV can still face punitive consequences outside the formal criminal justice system. Chief Nyamaropa, Munyaradzi Tivange,

By Michael Gwarisa  More than two-thirds of people dying from Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are still dying in their communities, raising concerns that patients are not reaching treatment facilities early enough to survive. The latest World Health Organization situation report shows that 193 of

By Michael Gwarisa Fiji has moved from describing HIV as an outbreak initially concentrated among people who inject drugs to declaring a national HIV emergency, as new data show the epidemic spreading beyond the population at the centre of the country’s initial response. The change marks a significant development in

By Michael Gwarisa   Zimbabwe is taking its fight against teenage pregnancy, child marriage and gender-based violence beyond villages and traditional leadership structures, with Parliament now being drawn into a growing national campaign aimed at changing how communities respond to the crisis. Acting Deputy Clerk of Parliament Lucia Nyawo said Members

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is set to take part in a major Africa-led clinical trial testing whether long-acting injectable HIV treatment can help prevent mothers living with HIV from passing the virus to their babies during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The Phase 3 study, known as Supporting Programmatic Maternal Viral Suppression

 By Michael Gwarisa Women and girls took to the streets in Harare in solidarity with girls and young women facing the burden of early, unwanted and unintended pregnancies in Zimbabwe. The walkathon, organised by DatCitizen, saw participants carry backpacks deliberately weighted with books and sand to symbolise the burden pregnancy

By Michael Gwarisa Global Aid Missions Zimbabwe has launched a skin cancer prevention campaign targeting persons with albinism, offering free screening and cryotherapy treatment as part of efforts to detect and manage potentially cancerous skin lesions before they become severe. The faith-based humanitarian organisation, which advocates for the health and

By Kuda Pembere Property mogul and West Prop Holdings Limited chief executive officer Kenneth Sharpe has been appointed chairperson of the Zimbabwe End Malaria Council, which is expected to spearhead efforts to mobilise resources and strengthen partnerships towards eliminating malaria in the country. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas

By Michael Gwarisa At 16, Rita Muzadzi (Real name protected) was preparing for her Ordinary Level examinations in Epworth when she discovered she was pregnant. The boy she had been dating, also 16, rejected the pregnancy. Frightened and unsure where to turn, Rita did not tell her mother. Instead, she

By Michael Gwarisa The Global Commission on Drug Policy has called for an overhaul of drug policies affecting children and young people, warning that punitive approaches are criminalising vulnerable children, separating families and denying them access to essential healthcare. In a new policy brief, Making Children and Young People Visible

By Michael Gwarisa A mosquito capable of transmitting Zika, dengue and chikungunya has bred in residential areas of east London for the first time, raising fresh concerns about how rising temperatures could change the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. The discovery of Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito,

By Michael Gwarisa Parliament has resumed its inquiry into Zimbabwe’s medicines supply system, with lawmakers probing the operations of the National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (NatPharm) and questioning whether public investment in medicines is translating into reliable supplies for patients. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care, chaired

The decline is being attributed to targeted HIV and STI prevention programmes, but adolescents and young women aged 15 to 24 continue to account for a disproportionate share of new infections. By Kuda Pembere Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Harare Province have declined to fewer than 2,000 cases per quarter,

By Michael Gwarisa Two weeks ago, Cimas Health Group hosted the third edition of its Healthathon, bringing together innovators, students, health professionals and technology enthusiasts to showcase solutions to some of Zimbabwe’s healthcare challenges. Beyond the pitches, prototypes and competition for the top prize, Healthathon 3.0 offered something perhaps more

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health and Child Care has established a new Directorate of Medical Services as part of a restructuring exercise aimed at strengthening the coordination and delivery of specialist, emergency and surgical services. Speaking at the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe Annual Conference, Permanent Secretary in the

By Kuda Pembere HARARE Institute of Public Health (HIPH) graduates have been challenged to turn their qualifications into practical solutions that improve community health and strengthen Zimbabwe’s healthcare system. More than 700 students graduated from HIPH on Friday, including 15 students from Botswana’s Botlhale Institute of Public Health, after completing

By Joseph Magero Smokers who use nicotine vapes are up to 67% MORE LIKELY TO QUIT than those using traditional nicotine-replacement therapy and TWICE AS LIKELY to succeed as people trying to quit ‘cold turkey’, according to the world’s leading authority on medical evidence. The Cochrane report, published last week,

By Michael Gwarisa The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is showing early signs of slowing, with confirmed cases declining from a peak recorded in August, but Africa CDC has warned that the outbreak remains far from being brought under control. Speaking during a weekly Africa CDC

By Kuda Pembere The Public Health Institute of Zimbabwe (PHIZ) has intensified efforts to bridge the research-policy gap by training 40 University of Zimbabwe students to translate public health research into evidence that can influence policy and practice. The week-long training is being conducted under PHIZ’s health workforce capacity strengthening