Nigeria Leads Africa in Skin Bleaching, with 77% of Users Engaging in the Practice

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  Nigeria has the highest prevalence of skin bleaching in Africa, with 77% of its population using skin-lightening products, a new report has revealed. The November 2023 Regional Fact Sheet on Skin Bleaching in Africa, compiled by the African Health Observatory (AHO) under the World Health Organization (WHO), warns that the widespread practice poses severe health risks and remains a major public health concern. Despite global efforts to regulate and ban harmful skin-bleaching products, millions of Nigerians continue to use them, driven by social, cultural, and economic pressures.…

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Ministry of Health Addresses Concerns at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter The Ministry of Health and Child Care has reassured staff and the public that measures are being taken to address key concerns raised by nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital following their demonstration on March 17, 2025. In a statement, the Ministry acknowledged the challenges at the hospital, particularly issues related to water supply, elevator functionality, staff welfare, and medical supplies. Efforts are already underway to resolve these problems and improve service delivery at the facility. One of the main concerns raised by hospital staff was the…

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HealthTimes Introduces the Zim Medical Doctors Directory

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter In a bold move aimed at curbing the rise of fraudulent practitioners in Zimbabwe, HealthTimes has launched the Zim Medical Doctors Directory. The platform is set to act as a reliable reference point for credible medical services in the country, offering patients a trusted source to find qualified doctors. This comes amid a growing concern over the increasing number of individuals claiming to be medical professionals without proper qualifications, putting patients at risk of being duped and subjected to unsafe treatments. We are introducing this platform not…

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Mutawatawa Hospital Gets New Digital X-Ray Machine

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a move set to revolutionize healthcare access in rural communities, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), with support from UNDP Zimbabwe, has installed a new X-ray machine at Mutawatawa District Hospital in Mashonaland East. The new X-ray machine replaces the outdated analogue system, significantly improving healthcare access by providing timely and accurate medical imaging. This advancement reduces the need for patients to travel long distances to urban centers for X-ray services. Speaking to HealthTimes,  Dr. Gladman Mubonani, the District Medical Officer for Mutawatawa said…

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New Start Centre Resumes Full Operations In Zimbabwe Following U.S. Funding Suspension

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa After a temporary suspension of U.S. funding, the New Start Centre program has fully resumed its operations, restoring crucial health services for communities across Zimbabwe. The suspension of the award was lifted, allowing Population Solutions for Health (PSH), which runs the New Start Centres, to continue providing vital healthcare services. Dr. Noah Taruberekera, Managing Director of Population Solutions for Health in Zimbabwe (PSH), told HealthTimes in an interview that the relaunch has been made possible through funding from key stakeholders, including the United States Agency for International…

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Greedy Parents Exploit Lack of Birth Certificates to Shield Child Marriage Offenders in Zvimba

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa, Mutorashanga A Zvimba traditional leader, Chief Gibson Jenami Katizagombo, has raised alarm over a growing trend in his community where parents are exploiting the absence of birth documentation to mislead authorities and legitimize early child marriages. According to a 2015 study titled The Face of Child Marriages in Mashonaland West, key drivers of child marriages in the province, particularly in Zvimba District, include poverty, religion, culture, peer pressure, and teenage pregnancies, among other factors. Speaking to HealthTimes on the sidelines of National Women’s Day commemorations in Mutorashanga—hosted…

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Zim’s Health Promotion Officers to Develop Key Data Indicators for DHIS2 Integration

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere in Kadoma Health promotion officers have welcomed an initiative to develop their own key data indicators for integration into Zimbabwe’s District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2), a move aimed at making their contributions more visible and measurable. The Health Promotion Unit (HPU) in the Ministry of Health and Child Care began developing these indicators on Wednesday, with support from Cordaid through World Bank funding. This initiative seeks to address a long-standing issue where the impact of health promotion officers’ work is often attributed to other professions. Established…

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You Love Smoothies Right? Here Are 7 Fruit combinations that you should always avoid

Michael Gwarisa

Did you know that you should not eat some fruits with certain foods? Combining some fruits can create compatibility issues, impact digestion and overall health. Therefore, it is important to understand that some fruits should not be consumed with other foods. True, having a lot of fruits and vegetables together is very healthy. Fruits and vegetables are definitely beneficial for children, but it is always best to keep a tab on the compatibility of the kind of fruits they eat, especially when they are eating a combination of fruits. Mixing…

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In Uganda, Fake Doctors Cause Serious Damage

GLOBAL PRESS ARTICLES

By Apophia Agiresaasi, GPJ Uganda KAMPALA, UGANDA — Days after an emergency cesarean section at a private clinic, Barbara Kwarikunda experienced excruciating pain. “I couldn’t eat,” she says. “I would feel pain whenever someone touched me. My stomach was swollen. I felt like something was bursting in my uterus.” Visits to the clinic didn’t help. An examination at a public hospital revealed that the people who operated on her left cotton and gauze in her uterus. They also slightly severed her intestine, which caused internal leaking. She required another surgery…

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Health Minister Allays ARV shortage fears

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere  The government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, has reassured the nation that there will be no shortage of antiretroviral drugs, having already floated a tender for their procurement. Concerns had arisen over the potential impact on HIV patients if stocks ran out after June. Previously, Health Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora had confirmed that the country had sufficient supplies until then. In Zimbabwe, 31% of antiretroviral drugs are procured through U.S. funding, with the remainder funded by the government through the National AIDS Council and…

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