WHO Pushes Expansion of PEN-Plus to 30 African Countries Ahead of Tanzania Conference
By Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to expand its PEN-Plus programme to 30 African countries beginning this year as governments, health experts and development partners gather momentum to tackle the continent’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The planned expansion comes ahead of the 3rd International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa (ICPPA
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AFRICALLI calls for allergy care to be recognised as essential health across Africa during World Allergy Week 2026
By Michael Gwarisa The African Alliance for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (AFRICALLI) is using World Allergy Week 2026 to push for a major shift in how allergic and immunologic diseases are prioritised across the continent, calling for them to be formally recognised as essential health care within national health systems. Under the theme “Allergy Care
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New Cancer Machines to Tackle 800-Patient Treatment Backlog, Says Government
Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe’s newly acquired cancer treatment machines are expected to significantly reduce a radiotherapy backlog affecting more than 800 patients, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has said. The advanced radiotherapy equipment, procured using revenue generated through the Sugar Content Tax, is being installed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare and
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CancerServe Trust Honours Survivors, Caregivers and Hope
Staff Reporter Cancer survivors have been urged to use their experiences to inspire and support others facing the disease as Zimbabwe’s cancer community gathered in Harare for the “Threads of Triumph” Survivors’ Dinner hosted by CancerServe Trust. Held at Goodhope in Harare, the event brought together survivors, caregivers, healthcare professionals and corporate partners to celebrate
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Zimbabwe Sets Up Three Ebola Isolation Centres as Government Activates National Preparedness Plan
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has established three Ebola isolation and treatment centres in Harare, Bulawayo and Chirundu as part of a nationwide preparedness response, even as the country confirms that no cases of Ebola Virus Disease have been reported locally. The Ministry of Health and Child Care says the move is a precautionary measure in response
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Zimbabwe Spends US$27 Million Sugar Tax Funds on Radiotherapy Equipment
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has spent US$27 million raised through the sugar tax on the first phase of a major cancer equipment procurement programme aimed at transforming diagnosis and treatment services in public hospitals. The latest consignment includes two high-capacity multi-energy radiotherapy machines weighing about 22 tonnes, which are expected to significantly strengthen the country’s cancer
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Delta’s Contribution to Sugar Tax Funding Cancer Care Weighs on Operations
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s sugar tax, introduced in 2024 to help finance cancer drugs, equipment and other health interventions, is increasingly becoming a major financial burden for beverage giant Delta Corporation, which says it and its associate Schweppes Zimbabwe are absorbing millions of dollars in costs to keep soft drinks affordable. The levy, introduced by government
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For Silicosis Patients, Solar Power Means the Difference Between Life and Death
Michael Gwarisa in Kwekwe A few metres away, the wife of 50-year-old Moses Ndaba stands quietly, her face weighed down by worry as she watches her husband struggle to breathe. Clad in a green dress, she reaches into a plastic bag, pulls out an apple and gently hands it to him. Ndaba stares at it
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Has Prostate Cancer
Michael Gwarisa Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyau was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer following routine post-surgical monitoring, but doctors say treatment was successful and the lesion has completely disappeared. According to an official medical report dated April 20, 2026, the Prime Minister had previously undergone treatment on December 29, 2024, for benign enlargement of the
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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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