Zimbabwe cannot attain Vision 2030 without well-nourished citizens
Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe’s goal of becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2030 cannot be achieved if citizens are not properly nourished, Deputy Chief Secretary for Social Services in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Reverend Paul Damasane, has said. Rev Damasane made the remarks on Thursday while officiating at a high-level Nutrition Advocacy Meeting
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UNICEF Warns Plumpy Nut Shortages Loom Amid Global Funding Crunch
By Kuda Pembere After three decades of treating child malnutrition with Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) such as Plumpy Nut under United Nations Children’s Fund support, Zimbabwe faces new risks as funding shortages strain supply pipelines. RUTF, an energy-dense food used to treat children with severe acute malnutrition, has significantly reduced the need for
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Maternal anaemia fuels intergenerational malnutrition in Zimbabwe
Michael Gwarisa Maternal anaemia is tightening its grip on Zimbabwe, with the latest Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) revealing a sharp and worrying rise over the past decade. In 2015, 27 percent of women of childbearing age (15 to 49) were anaemic. Today, that figure has climbed to 41.8 percent, a nearly 55 percent
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Harare’s Children at Risk: 1,000+ Malnutrition Cases Annually
Kuda Pembere More than 1,000 children under the age of five present with malnutrition at clinics run by the Harare City Council each year, according to Jacob Mafume. Mayor Mafume revealed this on Friday during the launch of a parenting mobile application, Rera-Umtwana (Nurture A Child). He noted that most cases are recorded in peri-urban
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How Instant Noodles and Zapnax Snacks Are Fueling a Silent Health Crisis Among Zimbabwean Children
By Michael Gwarisa While they may be convenient and easy to prepare for your little ones, flavoured snacks, foods and beverages contain high sugar, salt and or unhealthy fats that can increase the risk of becoming overweight or obese, and of related chronic diseases later in life. Data from the 2024 Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee
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Cholera Outbreak in Africa Set to Dominate AU Summit Agenda
By Michael Gwarisa The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for 68 percent of all cholera cases reported in the region in 2026, as well as 80 percent of all cholera-related deaths, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said. Other African countries currently experiencing active cholera outbreaks include Zimbabwe, Zambia,
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Africa CDC Urges Southern Africa to Strengthen Cholera Response
Michael Gwarisa Southern African countries are being urged to strengthen cross-border cooperation as the region faces growing cholera threats. Fragile health systems, combined with recurrent natural disasters such as cyclones and floods, are exposing communities to heightened vulnerabilities, making coordinated action more critical than ever. Speaking during the weekly Africa CDC Virtual Press Briefing, Professor
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Table Tennis Programme Boosts Confidence Among Adolescent Girls
By Kuda Pembere  Young adolescent girls have hailed the ‘My Gender, My Strength’ programme held in Harare over the weekend, saying it boosted their confidence not only in playing table tennis but also in leadership skills.  The programme, which trained girls and boys from schools in Harare and Mutare, started last Friday and
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People Who Dye Hair in Unnatural Shades Show Higher Rates of Depression
Michael Gwarisa Though it has become a popular fashion statement, especially among modern women, performers, and artists, new research shows that dyeing hair in unnatural shades could be a silent cry for help and a sign of underlying mental health struggles. The full study Blue Hair and the Blues: Dying Your Hair Unnatural Colours is
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Gambling: The New Mental Health Crisis Stalking Zimbabwe
By Method Moyo (Counselling Psychology Intern) Gambling, while often viewed as a form of entertainment, can lead to addiction and devastating consequences. Take, for example, Tawanda (not his real name), a 32-year-old man from the Makoni area of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Initially a promising professional, Tawanda’s casual gambling evolved into a compulsive behavior fueled by cognitive
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