Zimbabwe Moves to Make Cancer a Notifiable Disease
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is moving to tighten cancer surveillance by considering making the disease notifiable, as part of broader health sector reforms to strengthen accountability and data quality, with officials saying the measure could improve reporting compliance across all sectors. Officiating at a National Stakeholders Meeting on Cancer Notification, Health Ministry Secretary Aspect Maunganidze
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Cancer Crisis Deepens in Zimbabwe as 8,000 New Cases Emerge Annually
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is recording close to 8 000 new cancer cases annually, with health experts warning of a rising burden driven by post-COVID trends and persistent gaps in early detection and reporting. Registrar of the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry, Eric Chokunonga, said the country recorded its highest number of cases in 2022. “But
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Nurses Announce Three-Day Nationwide Strike Amid Pay Dispute
By Kuda Pembere The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has announced a three-day nationwide strike following a wave of protests by nurses over low salaries and deteriorating working conditions. The demonstrations began at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital before spreading to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Chitungwiza Central Hospital and Bindura Provincial Hospital. A recent protest at Marondera
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11 Nurses Arrested in Marondera Over Protest Attempt
By Kuda Pembere Eleven nurses at Marondera Provincial Hospital were arrested and fined US$30 each after allegedly attempting to stage a protest over poor working conditions and low salaries. The arrests come amid a wave of demonstrations by nurses across the country, which began at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital and spread to Parirenyatwa Group of
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Breathalyser Tests Proposed for Health Workers as Substance Abuse Rises
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is considering introducing breathalyser testing for health workers amid growing concern over drug and substance abuse within the sector. The Health Service Commission (HSC), which oversees the public health workforce, recently convened a workshop to address rising cases of substance misuse among health professionals. The discussions come after Health and Child
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Nurses Drop Night Duty at Sally Mugabe Hospital Over Pay Crisis
By Kuda Pembere Nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital have resolved to stop working night shifts starting tomorrow following a protest over low salaries and rising transport costs. The decision comes after a demonstration at the hospital on Friday, where nurses, joined by some patients, voiced frustration over wages eroded by inflation and recent fuel
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Fuel Price Hike Threatens Zimbabwe’s Fragile Health System: CWGH
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe’s already strained public health sector is set to face deeper challenges following rising fuel prices, with health advocates warning of disruptions to service delivery, supply chains and access to care. Prices of fuel rose from US$1.71 to US$2.05 for diesel and US$1.77 to US$2.17 for blended petrol. Between January and March,
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AHF Backs Zimbabwe Over Data Dispute in US$367m Health Deal
Kuda Pembere The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has backed Zimbabwe’s decision to walk away from a US$367 million health financing deal with the United States, saying the country is justified in demanding fair benefit-sharing from its health data while urging government to mobilise domestic resources to cover the funding gap. An official from the United
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Zimbabwe Wraps Up Japan-Supported Kaizen Programme, Reporting Improved Hospital Patient Outcomes
 Kuda Pembere A nationwide hospital quality improvement programme, Kaizen, has concluded after four years, with the Health and Child Care Ministry reporting improvements in hospital organisation, service delivery and patient satisfaction. The 5S-Kaizen Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative, which ran from 2022 to 2025, was supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in
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Zimbabwe Expands Fistula Repair Camps as Thousands of Women Await Surgery
Kuda Pembere Fewer than 2 000 women and adolescent girls in Zimbabwe have received corrective surgery for obstetric fistula since specialised repair camps began in 2014, prompting health authorities to expand the programme nationwide to tackle a backlog of thousands living with the preventable childbirth injury. According to the Zimbabwe Health Demographic Survey (2023-24), about
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