By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe's ambition to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B is under growing threat as rising adolescent pregnancies and declining antenatal care (ANC) attendance undermine progress towards meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) validation targets. Although the country has made remarkable gains in preventing babies

By Michael Gwarisa A once-weekly pill for HIV treatment has performed as well as standard daily therapy in two landmark Phase III clinical trials, bringing researchers a step closer to offering people living with HIV the world's first complete once-weekly oral treatment regimen. The findings from the ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2

By Michael Gwarisa More than 382 students at St Faith's High School in Makoni District, Manicaland Province, have been affected by an outbreak of an acute respiratory illness that has swept through the boarding school since Thursday, overwhelming the school's clinic and leaving eight learners admitted to hospital. The Ministry

By Anorld Moyo Good legislation is not measured by how quickly it is passed, but by how rigorously it is scrutinised. As Parliament considers the proposed SI330 amendments, its duty is not simply to approve or reject reform—it is to ensure that every significant legal, economic and healthcare consequence has

By Percival Kushure SHAMVA/BINDURA – Recent male engagement initiatives on family planning and reproductive health conducted in Shamva and Bindura districts, as well as at workplaces in Bindura by the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), are beginning to transform men's perceptions of family planning and reproductive health. More men

By Michael Gwarisa A scabies outbreak has spread through Harare's overcrowded informal settlements, with health authorities confirming 70 cases in Hopley and Stoneridge, raising fresh concerns about the health risks posed by rapid urbanisation and poor living conditions. While the City of Harare recently alerted residents to the outbreak, HealthTimes

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has staged one of the region's most remarkable immunisation recoveries, with HPV vaccine coverage soaring from just six percent in 2022 to 90 percent in 2025, making it the second-highest performer in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The latest figures from the 2025 World Health

By Michael Gwarisa The Government has acknowledged that financial barriers are preventing some pregnant women from accessing life-saving maternal healthcare and says it is finalising legislation that will introduce free healthcare for every Zimbabwean citizen and resident. Responding to concerns raised in Parliament, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr

By Michael Gwarisa Every day in 2025, nearly 17 Zimbabwean babies died every day before reaching one month of life. By the end of the year, the country had lost 6,177 newborns, a heartbreaking toll that translates to almost 119 babies every week. Put another way, it is as if,

By Kuda Pembere The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has engaged social media content creators to help curb the illegal advertising of medicines, warning that influencers increasingly shape public health decisions. The awareness meeting, held on Wednesday, brought together creators from Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube amid growing

By Michael Gwarisa Scientists have launched the world's first clinical trial to determine whether an experimental antiviral drug can prevent people exposed to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus from developing the deadly disease, offering new hope as an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda

By Kuda Pembere Newly elected Rotary Club of Chitungwiza president Solomon Bamusi has pledged to strengthen the club's community health and humanitarian programmes, with a renewed focus on expanding access to healthcare and mentorship for young people. Bamusi, who was installed as president on Friday for a one-year term, said

By Michael Gwarisa The Democratic Republic of Congo's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is accelerating at an alarming pace, with infections surging by 25% in just one week as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned that the virus is spreading faster than response efforts can keep up.

By Patricia Mashiri Women’s leadership is not merely a matter of representation but a constitutional right and a critical driver of Zimbabwe’s development, delegates at the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) High-Level National Indaba heard. The Indaba brought together representatives from the church, traditional leadership, civil society and government to

By Kuda Pembere in Norton Zimbabwe has launched its National Health Strategy (2026-2030), a five-year blueprint aimed at strengthening the country's health system, expanding access to quality healthcare and accelerating progress towards universal health coverage. Launching the strategy at Norton Hospital on Thursday, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr

By Staff Reporter HealthTimes will strengthen its coverage of HIV and AIDS after its Editor, Michael Gwarisa, was awarded a prestigious media scholarship by the International AIDS Society (IAS) to attend the 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026), which will be held from 26–31 July 2026 in Rio de Janeiro,

By Kuda Pembere HARARE – Zimbabwe commemorated its first-ever International Paramedics Day on Tuesday, with health officials using the occasion to highlight the newly gazetted Medical Services Amendment Act, which makes the provision of emergency medical care a legal obligation for both public and private health institutions. The event brought

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has enacted sweeping amendments to the Medical Services Act that will require private hospitals to provide life-saving emergency treatment to critically ill patients regardless of their ability to pay, marking one of the country's most significant health law reforms in recent years. The Medical Services Amendment

By Michael Gwarisa When Lydia Zigomo, the UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa arrived in Zimbabwe for her recent high-level mission, her schedule appeared much like that of many senior United Nations officials. There were meetings with government ministers, engagements with development partners, discussions with young people, visits

By Michael Gwarisa Nearly seven in ten Zimbabweans who previously used daily oral HIV prevention pills abandoned treatment because of the burden of taking medication every day, a new survey has revealed, adding fresh evidence that long-acting injectable HIV prevention could transform the country's fight against new HIV infections. The