Zimbabwe Looks to Strengthen Social Contracting as HIV Donor Funding Shrinks
By Michael Gwarisa Despite meeting the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets overall, Zimbabwe’s HIV response could face growing pressure if it fails to secure alternative funding to cover gaps left by international donors and development partners, delegates to the Transition Initiative Stakeholder Dialogue on Health financing have warned. The warning comes as Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen an
Read More
HIV decriminalisation tested as traditional court orders woman to pay cow over alleged transmission
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe abolished a law that criminalised HIV transmission four years ago. But a recent traditional court case in Shamva has raised fresh questions about whether people living with or affected by HIV can still face punitive consequences outside the formal criminal justice system. Chief Nyamaropa, Munyaradzi Tivange, recently ordered a woman to
Read More
Fiji’s HIV Epidemic Has Moved Beyond Its Initial Risk Group
By Michael Gwarisa Fiji has moved from describing HIV as an outbreak initially concentrated among people who inject drugs to declaring a national HIV emergency, as new data show the epidemic spreading beyond the population at the centre of the country’s initial response. The change marks a significant development in an HIV epidemic that has
Read More
FDA Approves Drug to Treat HIV Infection in Newborns
By Michael Gwarisa The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new formulation of the HIV medicine dolutegravir for use in newborns from birth through four weeks of age, expanding treatment options for one of the most vulnerable groups at risk of HIV infection. The approval covers Tivicay PD tablets for oral suspension
Read More
Zimbabwe Among Hardest Hit as New PEPFAR Data Shows Over 6,000 Children Lose HIV Treatment Support
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is among the countries hardest hit by recent disruptions to the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with new data released ahead of the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Science (AIDS 2026) showing that more than 6,000 fewer children were receiving PEPFAR-supported HIV treatment by the
Read More
Once-Weekly HIV Pill Matches Daily Treatment in Landmark Phase III Trials Ahead of AIDS 2026
By Michael Gwarisa A once-weekly pill for HIV treatment has performed as well as standard daily therapy in two landmark Phase III clinical trials, bringing researchers a step closer to offering people living with HIV the world’s first complete once-weekly oral treatment regimen. The findings from the ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 studies will be presented at
Read More
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
Read More
38,000 Malawians to Receive Lenacapavir as First Shipment of HIV Prevention Doses Arrives
By Michael Gwarisa Malawi has received its first shipment of lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable HIV prevention medicine, with enough doses expected to protect 38,000 people, marking another milestone in Africa’s rollout of one of the most significant advances in HIV prevention in decades. The arrival of the first of two planned shipments positions Malawi as
Read More
Zimbabwe Study Finds Older People Living with HIV Face Hidden Bone Loss, Women at Greatest Risk
By Michael Gwarisa A groundbreaking Zimbabwean study has revealed that older people living with HIV have significantly poorer bone health than their HIV-negative peers, with women facing an even greater risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering debilitating fractures as they age. Published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, the study found that HIV
Read More
Inside Khami Prison: The Inmate Called “The Headmaster” Transforming Education Behind Bars
By Kuda Pembere As he walks into the classroom, the room falls silent. A silence that settles whenever a figure of authority steps into the space. Rows of inmates sit shoulder to shoulder, carefully writing letters and numbers into neatly covered exercise books. The room is bright, orderly and filled with focus. One young inmate
Read More