By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe's progress in reducing maternal mortality must now be matched by stronger efforts to save newborns, with researchers in obstetrics and gynaecology challenged to move beyond scientific papers and produce evidence-based solutions that can be translated into health policies and practical interventions as the country works towards
By Kuda Pembere Nineteen specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology have graduated from the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ECSACOG), with 12 of them coming from Zimbabwe. A further 27 fellows and members were inducted into the college, marking a significant milestone in the development of
By Michael Gwarisa Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) has opened a new clinic in Harare’s Central Business District, expanding access to sexual and reproductive health, primary healthcare and non-communicable disease services for people who live and work in the city centre. The clinic, located at Eastgate Mall, will provide a range
By Michael Gwarisa A nurse-led outreach programme in rural Zimbabwe screened more than 1,100 women living with HIV for cervical cancer in a year, with seven in 10 accessing the service through outreach clinics, new data has shown. The programme, implemented through Kamutsenzere Rural Health Centre and nine outreach sites
By Michael Gwarisa Africa is preparing to write a new chapter in its public health story—one defined less by dependency and vulnerability and increasingly by African leadership, science, innovation and the determination to take ownership of the continent's health future. That ambition will take centre stage when the 5th International
By Michael Gwarisa For 22 years, Martha Tholanah has lived with HIV. When she was diagnosed on January 3, 2003, the future looked bleak. She had fallen ill and gone for an HIV test shortly before starting a new job. Her CD4 count was just 31, indicating severe immune suppression
By Michael Gwarisa For decades, the condom has been one of the most recognisable symbols of the global fight against HIV. Cheap, effective and relatively easy to distribute, condoms have been at the centre of prevention programmes that helped drive down new HIV infections across the world. But a new
By Staff Reporter The Ministry of Health and Child Care has dismissed as false a social media message claiming that Zimbabwe is recording a resurgence in COVID-19 cases and deaths. The ministry said claims of COVID-19 deaths at Mpilo Central Hospital and alleged cases at Salem Gama Central Hospital were
By Kuda Pembere AS Zimbabwe begins implementing its Second National Health Strategy (NHS) 2026-2030, Government has called for a shift from planning to execution, saying the country's success will be measured by tangible improvements in healthcare services and the quality of life of its citizens. Health and Child Care Minister
By Kuda Pembere At a time when Zimbabwe lacks a stand-alone legal framework governing comprehensive menstrual health management, Government says it is considering developing one that could eventually become an Act of Parliament. Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Senator Monica Mutsvangwa made the announcement while
By Alice Mudzingwa WINDHOEK, Namibia – Delegates at the Sixth Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference (SARSYC VI) have called for stronger regional collaboration, evidence-based policymaking and greater investment in youth-led solutions to address emerging health and education challenges facing young people across Southern Africa. The calls were made
By Kuda Pembere The Ministry of Health and Child Care and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Monday identified immunisation, community health and the reintegration of returning Zimbabweans from South Africa as key areas for expanded cooperation. The discussions took place during a courtesy
By Michael Gwarisa The United States Embassy has challenged the Zimbabwean government's account of why it rejected a proposed multi-million-dollar health assistance agreement, marking the latest development in an ongoing dispute over a deal that would have supported HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and other public health programmes. The Embassy's response follows
By Staff Reporter As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Breastfeeding Week 2026, Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ) has called for stronger community-led support systems to help more mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies, saying communities—not mothers alone—hold the key to improving child nutrition and survival. This year's
By Patricia Mashiri Zimbabwe must intensify prevention advocacy and strengthen community-led HIV prevention efforts to safeguard decades of progress against HIV as shrinking donor funding threatens the country’s response, health experts have said. The call was made during the inception meeting of the Community Monitoring and Engagement for Transformation (COMET)
By Michael Gwarisa As the curtain came down on the 26th AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Bantwana Zimbabwe emerged as one of the organisations attracting international attention after showcasing a community-based model that is helping improve health outcomes for children and adolescents living with HIV. The
By Kuda Pembere National Hero Professor Herbert Mapfumo Chinyanga laid the foundation for Zimbabwe's modern health workforce by championing specialist medical training and establishing the country's anaesthesia profession, health leaders said during a memorial service held in Harare on Friday. The memorial, organised by the Zimbabwe Anaesthetists Association, celebrated the
By Patricia Mashiri Women leaders have called for stronger collective action to accelerate gender equality and women's empowerment, saying Zimbabwe must move beyond commitments and deliver tangible improvements in the lives of women and girls. The calls were made on Thursday during the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) Annual Women's
By Alice Mudzingwa HARARE – Young people from across Zimbabwe have called for greater participation in governance and policy-making, urging government, development partners and civil society organisations to create more opportunities for youth leadership and meaningful involvement in national development. The calls were made during a Youth Indaba, where delegates
By Michael Gwarisa RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Zimbabwe is reshaping its HIV prevention strategy by putting communities at the centre of decision-making, using insights gathered from ordinary citizens to guide the country's national PrEP Choice campaign and preparations for the introduction of long-acting injectable HIV prevention, lenacapavir (LEN). Presenting
By Michael Gwarisa RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Zimbabwe has reaffirmed its commitment to ending AIDS among children, with the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, telling delegates at the 13th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (AIDS 2026) that the country remains focused on closing
By Alice Mudzingwa HARARE – Young leaders from across Zimbabwe, government officials, development partners, and civil society representatives have gathered in Harare for a two-day National Youth Indaba aimed at strengthening youth participation in policymaking and advancing youth-led solutions to Zimbabwe's development challenges. The Indaba is being convened under the
By Michael Gwarisa African countries that rejected the United States’ proposed “America First” health agreements did so in defence of sovereignty, arguing that some of the conditions attached to the deals were unacceptable. However, as PEPFAR funding transitions continue and concerns grow over the sustainability of HIV programmes, governments may
By Michael Gwarisa RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Zimbabwe's Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, has called on governments to stop viewing health as a social expense and instead recognise it as a strategic investment that drives economic growth, productivity and national development. Speaking during a high-level
Own Correspondent RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – July 28, 2026 — At the 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026), the world's HIV leaders are on notice. Young people and advocates have one clear message: fund the next chapter of the Global Fund with genuine partnership, not empty promises. Fail to
By Michael Gwarisa in RIO DE JANEIRO An estimated 600,000 people are expected to be receiving the groundbreaking twice-yearly HIV prevention injection lenacapavir by the end of 2026, with the number projected to surpass one million early next year, as global efforts to rapidly expand access to long-acting HIV prevention
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is hosting a five-day Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Managers' Meeting, bringing together representatives from 21 East and Southern African countries to explore ways of making immunisation programmes more sustainable as governments assume greater ownership of vaccination initiatives. The meeting has attracted development partners, officials from
By Michael Gwarisa For millions of people living with HIV, achieving an undetectable viral load is the ultimate treatment milestone, a sign that antiretroviral therapy is working and that the virus is under control. But scientists are increasingly discovering that what happens in the blood may not tell the whole
By Patricia Mashiri Women leaders have called for stronger collective action to accelerate gender equality and women's empowerment, saying Zimbabwe must move beyond commitments and deliver tangible improvements in the
By Alice Mudzingwa HARARE – Young people from across Zimbabwe have called for greater participation in governance and policy-making, urging government, development partners and civil society organisations to create more
By Michael Gwarisa RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Zimbabwe is reshaping its HIV prevention strategy by putting communities at the centre of decision-making, using insights gathered from ordinary citizens to
By Michael Gwarisa RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Zimbabwe has reaffirmed its commitment to ending AIDS among children, with the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, telling
By Alice Mudzingwa HARARE – Young leaders from across Zimbabwe, government officials, development partners, and civil society representatives have gathered in Harare for a two-day National Youth Indaba aimed at
By Michael Gwarisa African countries that rejected the United States’ proposed “America First” health agreements did so in defence of sovereignty, arguing that some of the conditions attached to the