Harare’s Scabies Outbreak Started at Hopley Daycare, 70 Cases Now Reported
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 has established that at least
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Zimbabwe’s HPV Vaccine Coverage Soars From 6% to 90% in Three Years, Second Highest in SADC
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 Organization (WHO) and the United
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MCAZ Trains Content Creators on Medicines Advertising Laws
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 concern over the promotion of
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Bundibugyo Ebola Cases Surge 25% in a Week as Africa CDC Warns Outbreak Is Accelerating
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. The continental public health agency
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Women’s Leadership Vital to Zimbabwe’s Development, National Indaba Hears
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 discuss strategies for advancing women’s
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Zimbabwe Unveils National Health Strategy 2026-2030, Targets Universal Health Coverage
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 Douglas Mombeshora said the plan
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Zimbabwe Marks First International Paramedics Day as New Emergency Care Law Takes Effect
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 together more than 30 public
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Zimbabwe Introduces Law Requiring Private Hospitals to Treat Emergency Patients Regardless of Ability to Pay
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 Act, 2026, gazetted this week
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Daily Pill Burden Fuels Demand for Long-Acting HIV Prevention in Zimbabwe, Survey Finds
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 findings come just months after
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WHO Declares Hantavirus Outbreak Over After Final Contact Tests Negative
By Michael Gwarisa WHO has officially declared the recent hantavirus outbreak over after the last person known to have been exposed to the virus completed quarantine and tested negative. Announcing the development, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the final identified contact linked to the outbreak had safely completed the required monitoring period.
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