Health Services Suffer as Budget Remains Unused
By Kudakwashe Pembere As Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube prepares to present the 2026 National Budget, concerns persist over Zimbabwe’s failure to fully utilise health allocations, despite the Ministry of Health and Child Care consistently receiving less than 15 percent of the national budget. According to the 2025 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review, the Health
Read MoreFunding Cuts Push Zimbabwe to Consider Reusable Circumcision Kits
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is exploring the use of reusable circumcision kits to sustain voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services amid declining international funding and the gradual withdrawal of donor support. VMMC has been a key HIV prevention tool in Zimbabwe, credited with significantly reducing new HIV infections since the program’s launch in 2009. At
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Funding Cuts Push Zimbabwe to Consider Reusable Circumcision Kits
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is exploring the use of reusable circumcision kits to sustain voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services amid declining international funding and the gradual withdrawal of donor support. VMMC has been a key HIV prevention tool in Zimbabwe, credited with significantly reducing new HIV infections since the program’s launch in 2009. At its peak
Read MoreZimbabwe to Prioritise Local Funding in New HIV Strategy
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is set to begin developing its fifth Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (ZNASP V), which will guide the country’s HIV response from 2026 to 2030. The forthcoming strategy follows the successful implementation of ZNASP IV, which runs until 2025 and has seen major progress in the fight against HIV.
Read MoreZNFPC appoints Machinga as the new CEO
By Columbus Mavhunga Harare: Farai Machinga is the new substantive Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) having been in an acting role for some time. In a statement, ZNFPC said Machinga took the position since the beginning of this month. Mr Machinga is a distinguished public health specialist with
Read MoreTwo Generations, One Battle: Global Fund’s Role in Zimbabwe’s ARV Success
By Michael Gwarisa When Otilia Tasikasni learned she was HIV positive in 1991, she believed her life was over. The diagnosis then was not just a medical statement; it was a countdown. Doctors told her she had only two or three years to live, and every day felt like borrowed time. “At one point, all
Read MoreZimbabwe Faces Fertility Decline as Global Childbearing Crisis Deepens
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is experiencing a demographic shift in terms of fertility rate, in line with global trends, as more people struggle to achieve their reproductive goals. According to the 2024 State of the World Population (SWP) report by UNFPA, the world is undergoing a fertility crisis where individuals are increasingly unable to have
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Future of ZIMPHIA Survey Uncertain as US Freezes Research Support
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s prospects of conducting its third Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (ZIMPHIA), a crucial household-based national HIV survey, are hanging in the balance amid indications of potential funding cuts from the United States to global scientific research initiatives. Zimbabwe has already hosted two ZIMPHIA surveys—the first in 2015/2016 and the second in 2020.
Read MoreZimbabwe Records Over 600 Dog Bites in One Week
By Michael Gwarisa The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has raised alarm over the increasing number of dog bites, with a significant proportion of these bites attributed to unvaccinated dogs. According to the Weekly Disease Surveillance Report for the week ending January 5, 2025, a total of 635 dog bite cases were reported,
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