How Gold Is Fueling a Teenage Pregnancy Crisis in Shamva
By Kuda Pembere, recently in Shamva When Rhoda (not her real name) fell in love with a 19-year-old artisanal miner at the age of 15, she believed she had found a future. Instead, she dropped out of school, became pregnant and was abandoned before her baby was born. Today, at just 17, she is raising
Read More
From One Mother to Another: How Sayana Press Is Spreading in Rural Zimbabwe
By Kuda Pembere in Mashonaland West When 23-year-old Mai Audrey switched to Sayana Press after struggling with side effects from another contraceptive, she simply wanted a family planning method that worked for her. She never imagined her experience would encourage other women in her community to make the same choice. Today, women in Kasanze, about
Read More
Zimbabwe to Host Continental Reproductive Justice Forum Focused on Age and Rights
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe will, for the first time, host the Fourth Annual Reproductive Justice Litigation Baraza, marking the first occasion the continental conference has been held outside Uganda since its inception four years ago. Running from August 3 to 7, 2026 in Harare under the theme “Age as a Determinant of Sexual and Reproductive
Read More
Record Turnout as SAYWHAT Universities Quiz Challenge Draws 17 Institutions
By Alice Mudzingwa At least 34 students from 17 private and public tertiary institutions across Zimbabwe have gathered in Harare for the 8th edition of the Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) National Universities Quiz Challenge. The prestigious two-day competition, which began today at the SAYWHAT offices in Hatfield, focuses on
Read More
Zimbabwean Chiefs Draw a Line on Child Marriage Through “Not In My Village”
By Michael Gwarisa What began as a youth-led campaign in one province is increasingly evolving into a national movement reshaping how traditional leaders respond to child marriage across Zimbabwe. From roadside billboards carrying anti-child marriage messages to new village by-laws, and strengthened accountability systems, chiefs say the Not In My Village campaign is shifting attitudes
Read More
At 17, Motherhood Changed Her Plans. Family Planning Helped Her Rewrite Them
By Kuda Pembere in Mash Central On a cool Monday morning, Christabel Chiweso arrives at Wadzanayi Clinic, a health facility run by the Shamva Rural District Council. This time, she is not seeking a family planning method for herself. Instead, she has accompanied her sister-in-law, who wants to start using contraception. The two women have
Read More
Zimbabwe Launches National Framework as Adolescent Pregnancies Surge to 22%
By Michael Gwarisa The Government of Zimbabwe has launched a National Multi-Sectoral Framework for the Prevention and Management of Adolescent Pregnancies, describing the initiative as a decisive national response to one of the country’s most urgent public health and development challenges. The framework seeks to coordinate action across government ministries, communities, development partners, traditional leaders,
Read More
Zimbabwe Urged to Invest More in Midwives as Global Shortage Hits One Million
Michael Gwarisa in Bulawayo The Government of Zimbabwe has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the country’s health workforce amid growing calls for increased investment in midwives to help reduce maternal and newborn deaths. Speaking during the International Day of the Midwife commemorations and awards ceremony held at United Bulawayo Hospitals, Deputy Minister of Health and
Read More
World Health Day Theme Reflected in Zimbabwe’s IVF Breakthroughs
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 examples of science at work.
Read More
Government Targets Neonatal Mortality Below 12 per 1,000 by 2030
Kuda Pembere Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing neonatal mortality to fewer than 12 deaths per 1,000 live births, in line with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2). The Neonatal Mortality Rate according to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS 2023-24) according to Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora is 31 deaths
Read More