By Michael Gwarisa More than US$2 billion pledged by international donors for the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had yet to be disbursed as of October 14, 2026, raising questions about the pace at which promised resources are reaching the response on the ground. An Africa
By Michael Gwarisa, Africa:- Kenya has confirmed a third case of Ebola, involving a 65-year-old woman who was already in quarantine after being identified as a close contact of the country’s first and second cases. The Ministry of Health said the woman had been in quarantine since 6 October 2026
By Michael Gwarisa Patients seeking dialysis at the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRSC) clinic in Harare could soon have greater access to treatment following the donation of a new dialysis machine, which will also support plans to provide services to patients living with Hepatitis B. The machine, donated by haemodialysis
By Michael Gwarisa Kazakhstan has joined the International Respiratory Coalition (IRC), strengthening a growing global network working to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases. The newly established Kazakhstan Respiratory Coalition brings together clinicians, patients, researchers, public health professionals and policymakers to identify priorities for improving lung health
By Miranda Tabifor, Etona Ekole and Loveness Makonese As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day of the Girl under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights,” we are called - not only to celebrate the potential of girls - but to
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabweans seeking weight-loss surgery can now access a minimally invasive procedure locally that does not require the large abdominal incision traditionally associated with open surgery, in a development that could reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for specialised treatment. Trauma Centre Borrowdale says it has
By Etona Ekole (UNICEF) and Loveness Makonese (UN WOMEN) When a child, woman and member of a vulnerable group experiences sexual abuse, the harm extends far beyond the moment the crime occurs. It can leave lifelong emotional, psychological and social scars. While laws are essential in holding perpetrators to account,
By Michael Gwarisa Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, with health authorities saying the infection was detected early after the patient developed symptoms while already under quarantine following close contact with the country’s first confirmed case. The Ministry of Health said the patient is a 39 year old
By Staff Reporter A workplace wellness campaign reaching more than 3,700 mine workers has raised concerns over growing mental health, addiction and gambling problems in Zimbabwe's mining sector, with experts warning that untreated psychological distress is increasingly becoming a workplace safety risk. The campaign, conducted by Vitality Wellness across Zimplats
By Kuda Pembere The Health Professions Authority (HPA) has lost about 40 percent of its revenue following Government’s reduction of regulatory fees under its Ease-of-Doing-Business reforms, forcing the authority to introduce cost-cutting measures while maintaining its regulatory mandate. In May this year, Government unveiled sweeping regulatory reforms that reduced fees,
By Kuda Pembere An offence category involving alcohol, tobacco and other controlled substances was among the top three crimes leading to the imprisonment of women in Zimbabwe during the second quarter of 2026, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT). ZIMSTAT's 2026 Second Quarter Prison Admissions and Discharges Statistics
By Kuda Pembere Researchers have called for the global climate crisis to be declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that extreme weather, droughts, floods and heatwaves are already placing health systems and vulnerable populations under severe pressure. The call comes as Zimbabwe prepares for the 2026-27
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is hosting a peer-to-peer exchange with Mozambique under the SPHIRHA programme to strengthen public health institutions' capacity to address sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges, with adolescent pregnancy emerging as a major concern for maternal health. Chief Director in the Ministry of Health and Child
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is developing an Anticipatory Action Protocol to guide coordinated preparations for the forecast El Niño-induced drought during the 2026-27 rainfall season. The protocol will bring together government ministries, development partners and other stakeholders to agree on early warning triggers, interventions and financing before a disaster occurs.
By Michael Gwarisa Zambia has finally agreed to sign a US$1.5 billion health funding deal with the United States after months of negotiations over controversial provisions on health data, biological specimens and the conditions attached to American assistance. The five-year agreement, which is expected to be signed on Thursday, will
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is entering a new and uncertain chapter in its fight against HIV and tuberculosis as United States Government-funded health programmes close, raising questions about whether the country can sustain gains built over decades of international support. The transition comes as Zimbabwe's health authorities seek to shift
By Michael Gwarisa A sharp decline in reported Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo could be masking continued transmission, with insecurity and community resistance preventing response teams from reaching some of the outbreak's most affected communities, Africa CDC has warned. Dr Wessam Mankoula, who leads the Continental Incident
By Kuda Pembere The Zimbabwe Gender Commission has launched a 90-day national campaign against intimate partner violence following concern over domestic violence cases that have escalated into serious injury and loss of life. Speaking to journalists on Friday, ZGC chairperson Dr Leslie Ncube said the reported increase in physical, sexual
By Michael Gwarisa For more than a century, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been the world's main vaccine against tuberculosis, protecting millions of children from severe forms of the disease. But the vaccine's limitations have become increasingly difficult to ignore. While BCG remains an important tool for protecting infants
By Percival Kushure Community leaders in Ward 26, Shamva, have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening efforts to prevent child marriages and teenage pregnancies, following a sensitisation programme on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH). The engagement brought together Chief Mutumba, village heads and key community stakeholders in a collaborative initiative
By Kuda Pembere President Emmerson Mnangagwa says access to essential health services has continued to improve through the strengthening of public health institutions, expansion of primary healthcare services and improved availability of essential medicines. Addressing Parliament at the official opening of the Fourth Session of the Tenth Parliament at the
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has received the first 23,000 doses of US-funded lenacapavir from a consignment of 43,000 doses secured to expand access to the twice-yearly HIV prevention medicine, just days before the United States is set to end its health assistance programmes in the country. The latest shipment is
By Patricia Mashiri Disability advocates have called for women with disabilities to move beyond being viewed as beneficiaries of policies and programmes and take their place as leaders and decision-makers in Zimbabwe. Speaking at a Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe disability forum on women with disabilities in absentia Presidential Special Advisor
By Kuda Pembere The Health Professions Authority (HPA) closed 48 health facilities this year for operating without the required registration or qualified personnel, bringing the number of facilities closed since last year to 77. The closures were carried out with the assistance of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), with 29
By Kuda Pembere “Children Under 18 should be allowed to abort! Simple…!” Human rights lawyer Tinashe Mundawarara's blunt Facebook statement has reopened a difficult question in Zimbabwe: what should happen when a child becomes pregnant? Mundawarara followed his statement with another question: “Who wants their 12 or 13 year old
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is moving to establish a national benchmark for workplace wellness, with the Zimbabwe Business Council on Wellness (ZBCW) and Ganadora International set to launch a study aimed at filling a longstanding gap in data on workplace mental health, health challenges and their impact on productivity. Speaking
By Michael Gwarisa The United States has formally signalled a new direction in its relationship with Zimbabwe, shifting the emphasis from decades of health and humanitarian assistance towards trade, investment and broader economic cooperation following the collapse of a proposed bilateral health agreement. US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont made
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s estimated annual deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) more than doubled over three decades, rising from about 21,000 in 1990 to 42,000 in 2023, according to a new Lancet Global Health study. The study, which analysed Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 data across all 54 African
By Kuda Pembere The Zimbabwe Gender Commission has launched a 90-day national campaign against intimate partner violence following concern over domestic violence cases that have escalated into serious injury and
By Michael Gwarisa For more than a century, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been the world's main vaccine against tuberculosis, protecting millions of children from severe forms of the
By Percival Kushure Community leaders in Ward 26, Shamva, have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening efforts to prevent child marriages and teenage pregnancies, following a sensitisation programme on Adolescent Sexual
By Kuda Pembere President Emmerson Mnangagwa says access to essential health services has continued to improve through the strengthening of public health institutions, expansion of primary healthcare services and improved
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has received the first 23,000 doses of US-funded lenacapavir from a consignment of 43,000 doses secured to expand access to the twice-yearly HIV prevention medicine, just
By Patricia Mashiri Disability advocates have called for women with disabilities to move beyond being viewed as beneficiaries of policies and programmes and take their place as leaders and decision-makers