By Kuda Pembere The High Court last month delivered a landmark judgment declaring parts of Zimbabwe’s abortion law unconstitutional. The court ruled that provisions of the Termination of Pregnancy Act violate several fundamental rights, particularly those of women with mental illness and victims of sexual abuse within mental health institutions. Justice Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba found that
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By Joseph Magero, Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) As another year ends, it’s important to reflect on Africa’s position in the global fight against smoking-related diseases. Unfortunately, the familiar pattern continues: while the rest of the world adopts modern harm reduction strategies, Africa remains significantly behind, stuck in outdated methods that don’t address current public
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Mildred Mushunje and Dean Mutata Why Zimbabwe must urgently invest in youth reproductive health and safe abortion care to unlock its demographic dividend Sub-Saharan Africa is recorded as having one of the world’s youngest populations, and Zimbabwe is a striking example. With adolescents and young people constituting roughly 60%–62% of the population, the country is
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By Dr Vivian Manyeki, Public Health Specialist and Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocate In the busy corridors of the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Geneva, a heated exchange occurred. A young delegate, determined and armed with data, confronted a representative of a major global foundation.
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By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma Leading international consumer goods company, Philip Morris International (PMI), has announced that its leading nicotine pouch brand, ZYN, will feature on Scuderia Ferrari HP Formula 1 car liveries at select races across upcoming seasons. This will be an expanded partnership between PMI and Scuderia Ferrari HP, as well as with Ferrari
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By Own Correspondent As the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) concluded last week, experts on the sidelines raised concerns about the misuse of Article 5.3, which has increasingly hindered engagement with diverse stakeholders. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) restrictive interpretation of this article has effectively
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By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma The 11th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recently took place in Geneva, Switzerland, and resembled the familiar closed-door meeting where science was neglected and the voices of consumers left out yet again. A lot of these experts, including some of those
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By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma Sweden has become a global reference point for effective tobacco harm reduction, achieving some of the lowest smoking rates while many countries continue to struggle. Their success is largely attributed to a pragmatic approach that encourages smokers to switch from combustible cigarettes to significantly lower-risk alternatives such as snus and regulated nicotine
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By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma For decades, global public health experts have agreed on one thing: banning a dangerous substance rarely eliminates its use. It often pushes the trade underground, where governments lose visibility and control. Regulation, however, gives policymakers room to monitor, manage and gradually reduce harm. This tension now sits at the center of a
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By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma The Conference of the Parties (COP) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been ignoring emerging scientific evidence on tobacco harm reduction. Experts say the organisation continues to enforce restrictions that are not fit for purpose, while global smoking rates remain high. Tobacco harm reduction refers
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