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 ​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