HPA shuts 48 health facilities in 2026 amid crackdown on bogus practitioners
By Kuda Pembere The Health Professions Authority (HPA) closed 48 health facilities this year for operating without the required registration or qualified personnel, bringing the number of facilities closed since last year to 77. The closures were carried out with the assistance of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), with 29 facilities closed in 2025 and
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When a Child Becomes Pregnant, What Should Zimbabwe’s Law Allow?
By Kuda Pembere “Children Under 18 should be allowed to abort! Simple…!” Human rights lawyer Tinashe Mundawarara’s blunt Facebook statement has reopened a difficult question in Zimbabwe: what should happen when a child becomes pregnant? Mundawarara followed his statement with another question: “Who wants their 12 or 13 year old kid to carry pregnancy to
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Zimbabwe Launches Drive to Put Workplace Wellness on the Data Map
By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is moving to establish a national benchmark for workplace wellness, with the Zimbabwe Business Council on Wellness (ZBCW) and Ganadora International set to launch a study aimed at filling a longstanding gap in data on workplace mental health, health challenges and their impact on productivity. Speaking at the annual Corporate Wellness
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US-Zimbabwe relationship pivots from health aid to trade after MOU collapse
By Michael Gwarisa The United States has formally signalled a new direction in its relationship with Zimbabwe, shifting the emphasis from decades of health and humanitarian assistance towards trade, investment and broader economic cooperation following the collapse of a proposed bilateral health agreement. US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont made the announcement on Tuesday at
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Zimbabwe widens TB response as government turns to communities to find missing TB cases
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is stepping up efforts to find people with tuberculosis earlier and link them to treatment, as the government acknowledges that despite improvements in case notification and treatment outcomes, too many people remain unreached. The Ministry of Health and Child Care says the country is finding more people with TB, with notifications
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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
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Zimbabwe urged to join Borrowers Forum amid US$23.7bn debt
By Kuda Pembere At a time when Zimbabwe’s public debt has reached US$23.7 billion, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has urged the government to join the proposed Borrowers Forum, bringing together debt-distressed countries to amplify their collective voice in efforts to address the global debt crisis. AHF Zimbabwe Country Director Dr Ernest Chikwati made the
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US medical team brings specialist surgical expertise to Zimbabwe in 15-year partnership
By Michael Gwarisa A multidisciplinary team of medical specialists from the United States is in Zimbabwe for a 12-day medical mission aimed at expanding access to specialised surgical care for underserved communities. The LEAP Global Missions team, working in partnership with Celebration Health, is conducting the Zimbabwe Medical Mission from September 9 to 20, 2026,
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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
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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
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