- 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
Good COP 2.0 Pushes Back Against WHO’s Quiet War on Harm Reduction
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
Read MoreHealth Experts Warn WHO Against Full Tobacco Ban and Call for Balanced Regulation
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
Read MoreWHO FCTC Secretariat’s Assumptions on Nicotine Alternatives Are Misguided
By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma While there is broad evidence that tobacco cessation is achievable through several approaches, including tobacco harm reduction, it remains unclear why the Secretariat of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) continues to insist that all nicotine products are the same or that they all pose equal
Read MoreWhy Harm Reduction Matters More in Africa
By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma The African Tobacco Control Alliance (ACTA) defines Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) as a public health strategy aimed at lowering the health risks to individuals and society associated with combustible tobacco products. This approach is based on the understanding that most harm linked to tobacco use comes from the chemicals released and
Read MorePMI Strengthens Measures to Curb Youth Access to Smoke-Free Products
By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma Philip Morris International (PMI) says it is taking concrete steps to ensure its smoke-free products remain out of reach for minors, reaffirming its commitment to youth access prevention as global concerns around youth vaping grow. Speaking during the 2025 Technovation Summit in Dubai, Tomoko Iida, PMI’s Director of Scientific Engagement for
Read MorePMI Chief Calls for Urgent Embrace of Smoke-Free Alternatives to Save Lives
By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma in Dubai Despite years of anti-smoking campaigns and strict tobacco control measures, the global number of smokers remains stubbornly high. According to peer-reviewed data, about 75 percent of those who attempt to quit relapse within six months. This persistent challenge, experts say, underscores the need for alternative solutions such as smoke-free
Read MoreGetting Tough On Vaping Drives People Into Smoking Combustible Tobacco
Despite the massive crackdown on smoking in the form of bans and taxes, coupled with well-coordinated misinformation around emerging Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) alternatives, World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows that at least 8 million smokers continue to die from smoking-related diseases on an annual basis while one million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand
Read MoreFacing The Elephant In The Room: How Disinformation Is Standing In The Way Of Tobacco Harm Reduction
The American Centre for Disease Control (CDC) defines harm reduction as any behaviour or strategy that helps reduce risk or harm to yourself or others. For almost every societal problem, there are available harm reduction options. For example, to reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting HIV, one needs to practice safer sex or safer
Read More