Bantwana Zimbabwe’s Child-Centred HIV Care Model Draws Global Interest at AIDS 2026
By Michael Gwarisa As the curtain came down on the 26th AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Bantwana Zimbabwe emerged as one of the organisations attracting international attention after showcasing a community-based model that is helping improve health outcomes for children and adolescents living with HIV. The local non-governmental organisation, whose mission
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Will African Countries That Rejected Trump’s Health Deals Be Forced Back to the Negotiating Table?
By Michael Gwarisa African countries that rejected the United States’ proposed “America First” health agreements did so in defence of sovereignty, arguing that some of the conditions attached to the deals were unacceptable. However, as PEPFAR funding transitions continue and concerns grow over the sustainability of HIV programmes, governments may soon face difficult choices between
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Undetectable Isn’t the Whole Story: Study Finds Signs of HIV Immune Activity in the Brain
By Michael Gwarisa For millions of people living with HIV, achieving an undetectable viral load is the ultimate treatment milestone, a sign that antiretroviral therapy is working and that the virus is under control. But scientists are increasingly discovering that what happens in the blood may not tell the whole story. New research unveiled during
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Zimbabwe Advances Community Pharmacy Model to Expand Access to PrEP, Including Lenacapavir
By Michael Gwarisa RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Zimbabwe is testing an innovative public-private partnership that could transform HIV prevention by integrating community pharmacies into the delivery of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including long-acting lenacapavir, as the country seeks to make HIV prevention services more accessible and convenient for communities. Presenting the initiative at the 26th
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Science Has Put the End of AIDS Within Reach, But Politics Could Still Derail It-UNAIDS
By Michael Gwarisa in RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil UNAIDS says the world now has the tools to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, but warned on Monday that funding cuts and political decisions are threatening to reverse decades of progress despite major scientific breakthroughs. Launching the 2026 Global AIDS Update ahead of
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Teen Pregnancy, Low ANC Uptake Threaten Zimbabwe’s Triple Elimination Goal
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s ambition to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B is under growing threat as rising adolescent pregnancies and declining antenatal care (ANC) attendance undermine progress towards meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) validation targets. Although the country has made remarkable gains in preventing babies from acquiring HIV and congenital
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Mpilo HIV Laboratory Hits 100% Solar Power, Boosts Viral Load Testing Capacity to Over 7,000 Samples Monthly
Michael Gwarisa in Bulawayo Mpilo Central Hospital’s HIV laboratory has transitioned to 100 percent solar power, a development health officials say is improving the quality of HIV viral load samples, reducing testing failures, and strengthening patient care for thousands of people living with HIV in Zimbabwe. The upgrade was carried out under a Ministry of
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Bahamas Eliminates Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission in Landmark Public Health Achievement
Michael Gwarisa In a significant public health milestone for the Caribbean, The Bahamas has been certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, marking a major step forward in the country’s long-running fight against the virus. The certification places The Bahamas among a small but growing group of countries
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Merck Once-Daily ARV Pill Could Reach Market Soon
Michael Gwarisa In a move that could significantly reduce pill burden and improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved a new once-daily pill developed by Merck & Co. for adults living with HIV-1 who are already virologically suppressed. The pill is intended to replace a patient’s existing
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Low Viral Load Doesn’t Mean Zero Risk: What New Uganda Study Means for U=U
Michael Gwarisa For years, the global HIV response has rallied around a simple but powerful message: Undetectable equals Untransmittable, widely known as U=U. Backed by strong scientific evidence, the concept has transformed both HIV prevention and the lives of people living with the virus. But new findings from the Rakai HIV Cohort Study in Uganda
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