By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is exploring the use of reusable circumcision kits to sustain voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services amid declining international funding and the gradual withdrawal of donor support. VMMC has been a key HIV prevention tool in Zimbabwe, credited with significantly reducing new HIV infections since the program’s launch in 2009. At
Read MoreNovember 4, 2025 Michael Gwarisa By Michael Gwarisa To break down language barriers in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Zimbabwe’s Womandla Foundation has launched the country’s first-ever vernacular glossary of SRH terms. The initiative aims to make SRHR information more accessible to rural communities, helping people better understand programs and services that affect their health
Read MoreBy Linda Gedde Napoleon’s march on Moscow remains one of history’s most catastrophic military retreats. As his army withdrew, tens of thousands perished. But what killed them? There was hunger and cold, but also a mysterious illness that was long thought to be typhus. Now, more than two centuries later, DNA from the soldiers’ teeth is
Read MoreBy Kuda Pembere in Makonde By the banks of the Angwa River in Makonde District, James, an artisanal miner, vividly recalls the night his friend slapped him across the face. That slap, meant to kill a mosquito, set off a chain of events that ended up saving his life. In May 2025, James and his
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa Some years ago, a borehole drilling company struck water in Simwenge Village under Chief Siansundu in Binga, sparking celebrations across the community. But the joy was short-lived. The water was hot and salty, likely the result of hitting a natural hot spring. Even after the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) intervened in
Read MoreBy Kudakwashe Pembere Under the blazing Hatcliffe sun on the outskirts of Harare, a resilient community keeps growing against all odds. Among its youngest members is Ruvimbo, a Grade 5 pupil whose dreams take root in both soil and study. For her, a brighter future begins with education. Each day, she walks to school —
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa in Binga For more than a decade, Mrs. Esteri Simwaka from Siansundu Village in Binga has been helping her 13-year-old daughter, Bwime, relieve herself in the backyard or nearby fields. “It was easier when she was younger,” said a teary Mrs. Simwaka. “But now she’s grown and much heavier. I can’t lift
Read MoreAbstract The birth of a child with a disability presents significant psychological challenges for mothers, often resulting in heightened emotional distress, including grief, depression, and anxiety. Mothers raising children with disabilities often bear a profound, yet silent, emotional and physical burden. This article reviews the psychological effects experienced by these mothers, identifies contributing factors, and
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa in Gokwe For years, healthcare in Gokwe North has been beyond the reach of many. The terrain is unforgiving, rocky, bumpy, and scorched by a relentless sun. Narrow footpaths snake through thorny bushes and jagged rocks, leading to scattered homesteads perched in places so remote you can’t help but wonder how anyone
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa in Midlands Province As one descends the winding Boterekwa curves in Shurugwi in the Midlands province, the scale of mining activity becomes impossible to ignore. The landscape has transformed dramatically since the turn of the millennium. In the distance, rocks are blasted from the earth, sending thick clouds of dust into the
Read More