Kudakwashe Pembere A 26-year standoff between medical aid funders and healthcare service providers is threatening to intensify following proposed amendments to Statutory Instrument 330 of 2000 that would bar medical aid societies from owning or operating health facilities. The Health and Child Care Ministry recently convened a consultative meeting with

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is hosting the Africa CDC–University of Zimbabwe Mental Health Leadership Programme for the second consecutive year, as efforts intensify to address the growing burden of mental health disorders across the continent. Convened for the Southern African region, the two-week training course began on Monday and will

By Kuda Pembere A 75-year-old woman has taken a private hospital to court, accusing the medical facility of unlawfully detaining her in an attempt to force payment of an outstanding bill. Marita Manyore, who lives in Murambinda in Buhera District, Manicaland Province, has allegedly been held at Exclusive Medcare Hospital

Michael Gwarisa South Africa’s Portfolio Committee on Health has flagged grey areas in the proposed Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, warning that the legislation continues to permit the smoking of combustible cigarettes and may therefore fail to protect millions of South Africans. The discussion took place on

Michael Gwarisa A breakthrough in the fight against sleeping sickness could transform care for thousands of patients in Africa. The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has given a positive opinion to Acoziborole Winthrop, a single-dose, three-tablet treatment for the most common form of the

Michael Gwarisa World Health Organization has certified Denmark as having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and syphilis, marking a major public health milestone and making the country the first in the European Union to reach this goal. The certification follows a rigorous assessment process conducted by WHO’s Regional Validation

  Edinah Masiyiwa For reproductive rights advocates, the recent weeks have been a major setback. The Senate recommended removing Clause 11 from the Health Services Amendment Bill — a clause designed to clarify and improve access to lawful abortion services. Even more concerning was the statement by the Deputy Minister

Michael Gwarisa For many American women, the fear of an unintended pregnancy outweighs concerns about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, according to new research on multipurpose vaginal rings. The findings are detailed in a new peer-reviewed study titled “Multipurpose vaginal rings: preferences from a national discrete choice experiment survey

Kuda Pembere The completion of renovations at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, including Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital and Adlam House, a residence for nursing students, has been pushed to August this year on the back of equipment delivery delays. Adlam House had been earmarked for completion by February 14, while works

Michael Gwarisa World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain has announced that she is stepping down from her role, citing health reasons after three years at the helm of the global humanitarian agency. In an official statement, McCain said the decision was taken with deep personal difficulty, describing her time

Michael Gwarisa The Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control, Dr Jean Kaseya, has stressed that Africa’s health sovereignty is non-negotiable, amid growing resistance by African states to aspects of United States-backed health agreements. His remarks follow disclosures by countries including Zimbabwe and Zambia, which this week confirmed

Michael Gwarisa There appears to be growing pushback among African countries regarding a United States (US) government health aid deal, with Zambia becoming the latest to reject parts of the deal.  A Reuters report indicates that Zambia turned down a US$1 billion global health aid package from the United States,

Michael Gwarisa Preventable diseases continue to devastate families across Africa. The impact goes beyond individual households, overstretching healthcare systems and limiting access for those in need. These outcomes are no longer explained solely by medicine shortages or weak infrastructure. Health experts increasingly point to a widespread lack of health literacy

Michael Gwarisa The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has convened its first consultative meeting with healthcare industry stakeholders to begin developing a Statutory Instrument (SI) to regulate healthcare advertising in Zimbabwe. The meeting brought together a wide range of players from across the healthcare sector, including professional associations

Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has joined the Pfizer Accord for a Healthier World in a move set to expand access to patented medicines and vaccines at not-for-profit prices, as Government seeks to close the gap in access to innovative treatment. Pfizer internal data as of September 2025 showed that 15 countries

Kuda Pembere & Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s health sector faces renewed uncertainty after the collapse of a proposed US$367 million health assistance agreement with the United States, prompting Washington to begin winding down major health interventions in the country. The development follows a directive by President Emmerson Mnangagwa instructing the Ministry

Sky News has reported a medical breakthrough in the UK: a baby has been born using a womb transplanted from a deceased donor. Experts say this development could expand options for women facing infertility challenges. Doctors involved highlighted the careful ethical and medical safeguards taken during the procedure. While rare,

Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s HIV response could face serious disruption following the Government’s decision to halt negotiations on a proposed US$350 million health funding agreement with the United States, public health experts have warned. The proposed agreement was being negotiated between the Government of Zimbabwe and the US Embassy in Harare,

By Kuda Pembere As Zimbabwe works to address maternal health challenges and close the gap on zero-dose children while pushing for universal health coverage, the Health Ministry has taken delivery of immunisation vehicles, emergency response units, oxygen lorries, tricycles and cold chain equipment from UNICEF and its development partners to

Kuda Pembere At a time when Africa records more than 200 public health emergencies annually, SADC member states and selected countries from East and West Africa have gathered in Zimbabwe for a five-day Southern African capacity building training for the African Volunteer Health Corps (AVoHC). The training facilitated by Africa