Senegal Signs US Bilateral Health Deal
Michael Gwarisa Senegal has joined the growing list of African countries to sign a Bilateral Health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, the US Department of State has announced. The agreement, valued at US$90 million, will cover a five-year period from 2026 to 2030. According to the US Embassy in Senegal, the deal
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No New Cholera Cases in Zimbabwe, but Africa CDC Urges Stronger Case Management
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has not recorded any confirmed cholera cases in the past 15 days, a senior official from the Ministry of Health and Child Care has said, signalling progress in containing the latest outbreak. Recent cases were largely confined to Rushinga, a community along the Zimbabwe Mozambique border. The index case involved a male
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Each Year, Zimbabwe Loses a Town the Size of Kariba in Under-Five Deaths – UN
By Michael Gwarisa More than 32,000 children in Zimbabwe die before their fifth birthday every year. The figure, drawn from the latest UN child mortality estimates, places the country among those making the slowest progress in reducing under-five deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. That number is easier to grasp when placed in context. It is roughly
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Julian Buss Sets Record as First Zimbabwean to Achieve 300 Blood Donations
Michael Gwarisa Seventy-four-year-old Julian Buss has made history by becoming the first Zimbabwean to reach 300 lifetime blood donations, setting a national benchmark for voluntary blood donation and inspiring generations to come. Buss achieved this remarkable milestone after nearly five decades of consistent giving, having made his first donation in 1977 at the age of
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Illegal BBL and Breast Enhancement Salons Under Fire in Zimbabwe
  Michael Gwarisa The Health Professions Authority (HPA) Zimbabwe has issued a strong public warning regarding the proliferation of illegal facilities offering specialised medical and cosmetic procedures. According to the HPA, some of these procedures include invasive cosmetic treatments and other medical acts that should only be performed by qualified healthcare professionals. In a
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Leaked Memo Shows U.S. May Cut HIV Aid to Zambia to Secure Mineral Access
Michael Gwarisa A report in The New York Times reveals that the U.S. State Department is considering a significant reduction in health assistance to Zambia as a negotiating tool to gain greater access to the country’s critical minerals. According to The New York Times, a draft memo prepared for Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggests
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FDA Draft Guidance on Flavored Vapes Aims to Protect Youth
 Michael Gwarisa In a move likely to curb rising youth vaping in the Global North, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued new draft guidance for flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), establishing the first regulatory framework that emphasises device-level age verification to prevent underage use. Flavored ENDS have long been linked
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Africa CDC Trains Diverse Leaders to Close Africa’s Mental Health Treatment Gap
WATCH: Africa CDC Trains New Leaders to Close Africa’s Mental Health Treatment Gap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW1XAFxxtVE&t=34s Michael Gwarisa In 2015, Pamhidzai-Violet Togara lost her job. A few months later, her marriage collapsed, pushing her into a severe mental health crisis. “My husband took another wife soon after I lost my job. He told me to take it
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Rare HIV ‘Breakthrough’ Cases Reported in Lenacapavir PrEP Trials Across Africa
Michael Gwarisa As more African countries begin to introduce lenacapavir into their HIV prevention programmes, scientists are examining new data showing that a small number of people became infected with HIV while using the medication. The drug’s rollout now extends beyond just one or two nations. Countries that have started distributing the twice-yearly injectable or
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Africa CDC, UZ Honour Zimbabwe’s Dr Evelyn Mazike With Named Mental Health Short Course
Watch: Honoring a Legend: The Dr. Evelyn Masike Zimbabwe Mental Health Leadership Course https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LA_2HsML5Y Michael Gwarisa The University of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Africa CDC, has named the Zimbabwe Mental Health Leadership Short Course after the late psychiatrist Dr Evelyn Mazike. Dr Mazike, a lecturer in the Department of Mental Health at the University
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