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

Staff Reporter Zimbabwe joins the world in marking World Health Day today (April 7) under the theme “Together for Health. Stand with Science.” This year’s theme highlights how scientific innovation is transforming healthcare, making advanced solutions more inclusive and accessible. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the most striking

Michael Gwarisa The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that Ethiopia will host the 2026 edition of the International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), one of the continent’s premier gatherings for health professionals and policymakers. The fifth CPHIA conference will take place from November 1

Michael Gwarisa The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has urged Zimbabwe to reconsider plans to scrap the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, warning that the move could undermine progress made in advancing gender equality and protecting women’s rights. The call was made following the Commission’s visit to the country as

Michael Gwarisa The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned of a looming malaria crisis, driven by rising costs of polyester, a key raw material used in the production of mosquito nets. Across Africa, where malaria remains endemic, long-lasting insecticidal nets are a primary line of

Michael Gwarisa Data shows up to 20 percent of couples face unexplained infertility, where science has not identified a clear cause, prompting Zimbabwean medical experts to launch a study exploring potential genetic links to infertility. While science has established that factors such as poor sperm quality, low sperm count, uterine

Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is strengthening its public health decision-making by equipping government officials with critical data analysis skills, following the completion of a six-month Data-to-Policy (D2P) training programme led by Vital Strategies. The latest cohort saw 19 participants from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and the Ministry

By Kuda Pembere Players in Zimbabwe’s pharmaceutical sector have welcomed Cabinet’s decision to remove and rationalise a range of regulatory fees, describing the move as long overdue and critical for easing the cost of doing business. Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Information Minister Dr Soda Zhemu said the

By Kuda Pembere Cabinet on Tuesday approved a reduction in the cost of obtaining a Certificate of Good Standing for nurses, lowering the fee from US$300 to a new charge that is yet to be gazetted. Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing, Information Minister Soda Zhemu said the move is part

By Enock Musungwini, MPH; MBA The recent article published by the Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe titled “Healthcare funders push back, warn 80% of Private Healthcare funding at risk in IPEC Takeover” raises important and timely concerns about the future of medical aid regulation in Zimbabwe. The sector, valued

Michael Gwarisa In many African contexts, a man is often measured by his virility and his ability to procreate. When this does not happen, the emotional and psychological burden of shame and pressure can be immense and deeply damaging. For 49-year-old Robson Mwenda, who has been married to his wife