- 8 things you need to know about the BA.3.2 ‘Cicada’ variant of COVID-19
- Zimbabwean Company Launches Drone Technology to Deliver Medicines and Blood Products
- Two LGBTIQ-Linked Zim NGOs Rejected Under New PVO Decisions
- Egyptian Cardiothoracic Surgeons Lead Zimbabwe’s Third Paediatric Heart Surgery Mission
- Burundi mystery outbreak remains unsolved after More Than 200 pathogen tests
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
Read More
Manchester Institute of Biotechnology Develops Cheaper, Sustainable Method to Produce HIV Drug Lenacapavir
Michael Gwarisa Amid growing global pressure to make Lenacapavir more affordable, researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology have developed a new method that could significantly reduce the cost and improve the sustainability of manufacturing the long-acting HIV prevention drug. Supported by funding from the Gates Foundation, the scientists applied engineering biology, a rapidly advancing
Read More
EU Pledges US$750 Million to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria, Boosts AMR Response
Michael Gwarisa Amid declining donor support for health programmes in Africa and globally, the European Union has committed US$750 million (€700 million) to the Global Fund’s 8th replenishment to strengthen the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The announcement was made by Jozef Síkela, Commissioner for International Partnerships, at the One Health Summit in Lyon,
Read More
Gilead Refuses to Sell Lenacapavir to MSF Amid Rising HIV Risk
By Michael Gwarisa Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has accused pharmaceutical company Gilead of refusing to sell lenacapavir, a long acting injectable used to prevent HIV infection. MSF says the refusal follows multiple requests made over several months, including a formal meeting in which the organisation sought to purchase a
Read More
Senegal Signs US Bilateral Health Deal
Michael Gwarisa Senegal has joined the growing list of African countries to sign a Bilateral Health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, the US Department of State has announced. The agreement, valued at US$90 million, will cover a five-year period from 2026 to 2030. According to the US Embassy in Senegal, the deal
Read More
New Single-Pill HIV Treatments Show Strong Results in Global Trials
Michael Gwarisa Two new once-daily HIV treatments taken as a single pill have shown strong results in late-stage clinical trials, raising hopes for simpler treatment options for people living with the virus. The studies were presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 2026 in Denver, United States. Researchers tested whether the new drugs
Read More
US Clarifies Type of Health Data Requested in Zimbabwe Talks
Michael Gwarisa A United States official has clarified the nature of the health data Washington had requested from Zimbabwe during negotiations over a proposed US$367 million health cooperation deal that has since collapsed. Two weeks ago, a leaked document from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directing the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and
Read More
South Africa Launches Bid to Produce Lenacapavir as Region Seeks HIV Prevention Breakthrough
Michael Gwarisa South Africa has taken a significant step toward expanding access to next-generation HIV prevention by launching a process aimed at manufacturing lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable drug widely seen as a potential game-changer in the fight against HIV. The initiative forms part of a broader strategy by the government to strengthen regional pharmaceutical
Read More
Denmark Eliminates Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Syphilis
Michael Gwarisa World Health Organization has certified Denmark as having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and syphilis, marking a major public health milestone and making the country the first in the European Union to reach this goal. The certification follows a rigorous assessment process conducted by WHO’s Regional Validation Committee in June 2025 and
Read More
HIV Response Faces Uncertainty as Zimbabwe Halts US Health Negotiations, Experts Warn
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s HIV response could face serious disruption following the Government’s decision to halt negotiations on a proposed US$350 million health funding agreement with the United States, public health experts have warned. The proposed agreement was being negotiated between the Government of Zimbabwe and the US Embassy in Harare, acting on behalf of Washington
Read More