By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is considering introducing colour-coded food labels that would make it easier for parents and caregivers to identify foods high in sugar, salt and fat, as the Government moves to strengthen regulation of unhealthy food products and their marketing to children. The proposed system would use familiar
By Michael Gwarisa For a survivor of rape, the assault may last minutes or hours. Its consequences can last much longer. Sometimes, those consequences are visible. There may be physical injuries, the need for medical treatment or concerns about sexually transmitted infections and HIV. Other consequences are less visible. Fear,
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe’s medical fraternity is mourning the death of Dr Booker Kambarami, one of the country’s pioneering specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology, who died on August 15. He was 76. In a condolence message issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Health and Child Care's Permanent Secretary Dr Aspect
Zimbabwe’s Abortion Law After Rape: What Changed, What Didn’t and What Survivors Need to Know By Michael Gwarisa Early in 2026, Zimbabwe’s abortion debate moved from the margins into Parliament. At the centre of the controversy was Clause 11 of the Medical Services Amendment Bill, a provision that ignited intense
By Kuda Pembere in Mt Darwin A CancerServe-organised medical outreach at Karanda Mission Hospital reached 267 people on Friday, offering free screening, consultations and other health services, with a strong focus on cancer and other non-communicable diseases. CancerServe is a private voluntary organisation established to help address gaps in cancer
By Michael Gwarisa in Beitbridge Seventy-year-old Gogo Lucia Changunda walks with a limp as she slowly pushes a wheelbarrow laden with food items and dignity kits. After moving only a few metres from the distribution point, where Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) staff, International Federation of Red Cross and Red
By Michael Gwarisa Tariro is only 19. A few weeks ago, she was on cloud nine. She had just been accepted into university to study law. After years of hard work, good grades and determination, the future seemed to be falling into place. She had plans, the kind that belong
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 Michael Gwarisa The United States has announced nearly US$2 billion in new health and humanitarian assistance for faith-based and community organisations working across some of the world’s most difficult environments, in what Washington says is its largest allocation of global health foreign assistance to faith-based organisations in more than
By Kuda Pembere When Sarudzai walked into a youth centre in Hurungwe, she was not looking for a debate about Zimbabwe’s abortion laws. She was looking for help. Four months pregnant with her third child, the 22-year-old mother of two had already made up her mind that she wanted to
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is recording nearly 12,000 influenza cases a week during the current seasonal peak, but the Ministry of Health and Child Care says there is no evidence that the country is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. The ministry says laboratory testing conducted in cases where COVID-19 was clinically
By Kuda Pembere ZIMBABWE has updated its national essential medicines framework and introduced new adult oncology treatment guidelines as Government moves to keep pace with changing disease patterns, advances in medical treatment and growing pressure on the health system. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora last Thursday launched
By Alice Mudzingwa WINDHOEK, Namibia – Southern African leaders and development partners have urged governments to translate resolutions from the Sixth Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference (SARSYC VI) into concrete policies and programmes that improve youth health, education and wellbeing across the region. Speaking at the official ceremony
By Michael Gwarisa For more than a year, 59-year-old Lilian Leonel has lived on the streets of Maré, one of Rio de Janeiro's largest favela complexes. Her journey there, she says, was shaped by a complicated mix of personal struggles, family circumstances and drug use. But Leonel is quick to
By Kuda Pembere in Goromonzi WITH Zimbabwe still recovering from the 2023/24 drought and bracing for renewed climate shocks, Government and UNICEF have launched a two-year, Chinese-funded programme targeting more than 212,000 people in drought-affected districts. The initiative, financed through China’s Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, will be implemented
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 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
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
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
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
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
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