Each Year, Zimbabwe Loses a Town the Size of Kariba in Under-Five Deaths – UN
By Michael Gwarisa More than 32,000 children in Zimbabwe die before their fifth birthday every year. The figure, drawn from the latest UN child mortality estimates, places the country among those making the slowest progress in reducing under-five deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. That number is easier to grasp when placed in context. It is roughly
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Julian Buss Sets Record as First Zimbabwean to Achieve 300 Blood Donations
Michael Gwarisa Seventy-four-year-old Julian Buss has made history by becoming the first Zimbabwean to reach 300 lifetime blood donations, setting a national benchmark for voluntary blood donation and inspiring generations to come. Buss achieved this remarkable milestone after nearly five decades of consistent giving, having made his first donation in 1977 at the age of
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Illegal BBL and Breast Enhancement Salons Under Fire in Zimbabwe
  Michael Gwarisa The Health Professions Authority (HPA) Zimbabwe has issued a strong public warning regarding the proliferation of illegal facilities offering specialised medical and cosmetic procedures. According to the HPA, some of these procedures include invasive cosmetic treatments and other medical acts that should only be performed by qualified healthcare professionals. In a
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Zimbabwe Hikes Gonorrhoea Antibiotic Dose Amid Rising Resistance Fears
Michael Gwarisa As the world grapples with rising antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhoea, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has issued revised treatment guidelines. The update recommends a higher dose of the antibiotic ceftriaxone for gonorrhoea, responding to growing global resistance trends. In a circular dated 23 April 2025, signed by Health Permanent Secretary Dr Aspect
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Leaked Memo Shows U.S. May Cut HIV Aid to Zambia to Secure Mineral Access
Michael Gwarisa A report in The New York Times reveals that the U.S. State Department is considering a significant reduction in health assistance to Zambia as a negotiating tool to gain greater access to the country’s critical minerals. According to The New York Times, a draft memo prepared for Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggests
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Zimbabwe Wraps Up Japan-Supported Kaizen Programme, Reporting Improved Hospital Patient Outcomes
 Kuda Pembere A nationwide hospital quality improvement programme, Kaizen, has concluded after four years, with the Health and Child Care Ministry reporting improvements in hospital organisation, service delivery and patient satisfaction. The 5S-Kaizen Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative, which ran from 2022 to 2025, was supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in
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Africa CDC Trains Diverse Leaders to Close Africa’s Mental Health Treatment Gap
WATCH: Africa CDC Trains New Leaders to Close Africa’s Mental Health Treatment Gap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW1XAFxxtVE&t=34s Michael Gwarisa In 2015, Pamhidzai-Violet Togara lost her job. A few months later, her marriage collapsed, pushing her into a severe mental health crisis. “My husband took another wife soon after I lost my job. He told me to take it
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Rare HIV ‘Breakthrough’ Cases Reported in Lenacapavir PrEP Trials Across Africa
Michael Gwarisa As more African countries begin to introduce lenacapavir into their HIV prevention programmes, scientists are examining new data showing that a small number of people became infected with HIV while using the medication. The drug’s rollout now extends beyond just one or two nations. Countries that have started distributing the twice-yearly injectable or
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Africa CDC, UZ Honour Zimbabwe’s Dr Evelyn Mazike With Named Mental Health Short Course
Watch: Honoring a Legend: The Dr. Evelyn Masike Zimbabwe Mental Health Leadership Course https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LA_2HsML5Y Michael Gwarisa The University of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Africa CDC, has named the Zimbabwe Mental Health Leadership Short Course after the late psychiatrist Dr Evelyn Mazike. Dr Mazike, a lecturer in the Department of Mental Health at the University
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South Africa Urged to Secure Better Lenacapavir License Terms With Gilead Before Local Manufacturing
Michael Gwarisa Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has urged South Africa not to rush into local manufacturing of lenacapavir, an injectable HIV prevention drug, without first negotiating stronger, more equitable license terms or using a compulsory license to bypass patent restrictions. Their call follows a recent announcement by the South African government that it is negotiating
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