Michael Gwarisa NAIROBI, Kenya — The World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 officially opened in Nairobi on Sunday, bringing together more than 2,000 global health leaders, policymakers, researchers, and development partners to push for stronger and more resilient health systems across Africa and beyond. The high-level gathering is being held
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe could soon make history in Africa's medicines regulation landscape, as an 11 member World Health Organization (WHO) team is in country assessing the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ)’s readiness to achieve Maturity Level 4, the highest rating in the Global Benchmarking Tool. The assessment, which
By Kuda Pembere Cardiothoracic surgery teams from Egypt and Zimbabwe have wrapped up a third five-day mission in which they performed life-saving open heart surgeries on children, marking another milestone in efforts to strengthen local cardiac care. The operations done at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, ran from Monday to Friday,
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe will next week undergo a critical World Health Organization (WHO) review of its medicines regulatory system, a process expected to determine its readiness for the highest global standard. The assessment, running from April 27 to May 1, will evaluate how effectively the Medicines Control Authority of
Michael Gwarisa In a significant public health milestone for the Caribbean, The Bahamas has been certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, marking a major step forward in the country’s long-running fight against the virus. The certification places The Bahamas among a small
Health Correspondent A global vaccination recovery drive launched in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has delivered more than 100 million vaccine doses to an estimated 18.3 million children across 36 countries, helping close dangerous immunity gaps caused by years of disrupted immunisation services. The initiative, known as The Big
Michael Gwarisa Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyau was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer following routine post-surgical monitoring, but doctors say treatment was successful and the lesion has completely disappeared. According to an official medical report dated April 20, 2026, the Prime Minister had previously undergone treatment on December 29, 2024,
HARARE, ZIMBABWE – [24 April, 2026] A striking public installation of graves that appeared overnight in Epworth sparking widespread curiosity, public speculation, and viral social media debate has been revealed as a deliberate national intervention to spotlight Zimbabwe’s escalating public health crisis of unsafe abortion. The installation marks the launch
Michael Gwarisa Drone Solutions, a local logistics company, has introduced drone technology to deliver medicines, blood and blood products, among other essential health commodities, across Zimbabwe. The move is set to address gaps in the healthcare supply chain while tackling persistent challenges such as poor road networks and transport-related delays.
Michael Gwarisa Recent Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Board decisions show that most organisations seeking registration under Zimbabwe’s updated regulatory framework have been approved, while a small number have been rejected or deferred for further consideration. Among the organisations affected are two groups linked to sexual and reproductive health and LGBTIQ-related
Kuda PembereEgyptian cardiothoracic surgeons are returning to Zimbabwe for the third time to perform open-heart surgeries on 10 children.The procedures are set to begin next Monday at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where the visiting specialists will work alongside local cardiothoracic teams.Their return follows the commissioning of a new heart-lung machine
Michael Gwarisa Health authorities are still searching for answers after a cluster of deaths and illnesses in Burundi that has so far defied diagnosis, despite extensive laboratory testing that has ruled out major viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola and Marburg. According to health officials involved in the investigation, hundreds
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has begun the process of developing a Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP), a strategic framework aimed at addressing the impact of climate change on the health sector, with completion expected in early 2027. Once finalised, the country is set to become the ninth in Africa with
By Kuda PembereThe Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has announced a nationwide three-day strike beginning next Monday after Government failed to deliver on a promised salary increase.The industrial action follows what nurses describe as a disappointing US$30 increment in April salaries, far below expectations of a salary of around US$600.ZINA had
Ntokozo Gudu The Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals (ZACH) has appointed Dr Nonhlanhla Zwangobani as its new Executive Director. Her appointment follows the retirement of Mrs Vuyelwa Chitimbire, who has served the organisation for 25 years. The announcement was made through ZACH’s official Facebook page. “Her leadership transformed ZACH from
Michael Gwarisa Global efforts to scale up access to a groundbreaking HIV prevention injection have received a major boost after PEPFAR and The Global Fund announced additional investment in Gilead Sciences’ long-acting drug, lenacapavir, with the aim of expanding protection to millions at risk. The new commitment will support access
Michael Gwarisa For years, the global HIV response has rallied around a simple but powerful message: Undetectable equals Untransmittable, widely known as U=U. Backed by strong scientific evidence, the concept has transformed both HIV prevention and the lives of people living with the virus. But new findings from the Rakai
Michael Gwarisa Amid growing global pressure to make Lenacapavir more affordable, researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology have developed a new method that could significantly reduce the cost and improve the sustainability of manufacturing the long-acting HIV prevention drug. Supported by funding from the Gates Foundation, the scientists applied
By Mildred Mushunje (PhD) & Dean Mutata (BSc, MSc) Background Zimbabwe’s health crisis is often framed in terms of economic decline or health financing gaps. Yet there is another crisis, silent, gendered, and entirely preventable, rooted in abortion policy inaction. Trapped between inherited colonial law, religious anxiety, and political discomfort
Michael Gwarisa The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has issued a Class II recall of a specific batch of Azithromycin 500mg USP tablets after a quality defect was detected, raising concerns over the drug’s effectiveness in treating bacterial infections. The affected product, Batch Number 24050191, was manufactured by Indoco
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s leading family planning expert and trainer with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), Thandekile Munemo, has cautioned women against closely spaced pregnancies, warning that insufficient recovery time between births can pose serious health risks for both mothers and children. The concept of “gore mwana mwawa”, a
Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Burundi’s efforts to determine the cause of an illness that has led to five deaths and infected 35 people in Mpanda district, north of the East African country. While preliminary assumptions linked the ailment to Ebola or Marburg virus diseases, Rift
Staff Reporter In a strong show of commitment to charity and national development, the River Valley Group of companies has pledged to support health facilities and extend assistance to vulnerable communities in Midlands Province. The pledge was made during the Midlands Provincial Independence Ball held on Friday in Kwekwe. The
Michael Gwarisa Amid declining donor support for health programmes in Africa and globally, the European Union has committed US$750 million (€700 million) to the Global Fund’s 8th replenishment to strengthen the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The announcement was made by Jozef Síkela, Commissioner for International Partnerships, at the
Michael Gwarisa A team from Imperial College London has travelled to Zimbabwe to deliver an intensive training programme aimed at strengthening the use of machine learning in healthcare, as global efforts grow to harness artificial intelligence for improved health outcomes. The three day course, titled Machine Learning for Health Applications,
Michael Gwarisa Maternal anaemia is tightening its grip on Zimbabwe, with the latest Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) revealing a sharp and worrying rise over the past decade. In 2015, 27 percent of women of childbearing age (15 to 49) were anaemic. Today, that figure has climbed to 41.8
Michael Gwarisa Malaria experts have raised alarm over an emerging invasive mosquito species capable of thriving in hot, densely populated urban environments, warning that it could complicate already fragile malaria control efforts across Africa, HealthTimes has learnt. The mosquito, known as Anopheles stephensi, originates from Southeast Asia and has, over
Michael Gwarisa The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has appointed four senior advisors, a move aimed at strengthening the organisation’s capacity to respond to public health threats across the continent. The four include Ambassador Troy Fitrell (USA) as Senior Advisor on International Cooperation, Ambassador Pierre Delsaux (Belgium) as
Michael Gwarisa Amid growing global pressure to make Lenacapavir more affordable, researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology have developed a new method that could significantly reduce the cost and
By Mildred Mushunje (PhD) & Dean Mutata (BSc, MSc) Background Zimbabwe’s health crisis is often framed in terms of economic decline or health financing gaps. Yet there is another crisis,
Michael Gwarisa The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has issued a Class II recall of a specific batch of Azithromycin 500mg USP tablets after a quality defect was detected,
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s leading family planning expert and trainer with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), Thandekile Munemo, has cautioned women against closely spaced pregnancies, warning that insufficient recovery
Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Burundi’s efforts to determine the cause of an illness that has led to five deaths and infected 35 people in Mpanda
Staff Reporter In a strong show of commitment to charity and national development, the River Valley Group of companies has pledged to support health facilities and extend assistance to vulnerable