WHO Pushes Expansion of PEN-Plus to 30 African Countries Ahead of Tanzania Conference
By Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to expand its PEN-Plus programme to 30 African countries beginning this year as governments, health experts and development partners gather momentum to tackle the continent’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The planned expansion comes ahead of the 3rd International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa (ICPPA
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The Future of Tobacco Control in Africa Must Include Harm Reduction
By Joseph Magero As Africa marks World No Tobacco Day, governments across the continent must ask an important question: are current tobacco control policies truly tailored to African realities, or are they simply borrowed from elsewhere and imposed without regard for local feasibility? For too long, many African countries have adopted tobacco control approaches copied
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Africa Pushes Back Against US Travel Ban Linked to Ebola, Calls for Science-Driven Global Response
Michael Gwarisa African health leaders have pushed back against recent travel restrictions imposed by the United States in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa, warning that such measures may undermine coordinated outbreak control efforts and weaken global solidarity. The U.S. recently issued a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for the
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Mozambique Rolls Out Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention
Michael Gwarisa Mozambique yesterday joined other African countries that have introduced and added Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable HIV prevention drug, into their biomedical prevention methods. Other countries that have introduced the HIV prevention drug include Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In Mozambique, the official launch was hosted at the
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AU, EU Deepen Health Partnership with €100 Million Investment in Africa’s Health Systems
Michael Gwarisa The African Union and the European Commission have strengthened their health partnership with the launch of three new initiatives valued at more than €100 million under the Global Gateway strategy, in a move aimed at boosting health security, pandemic preparedness, and digital health systems across Africa. Working through the Africa Centres for Disease
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Ethiopia to Host 5th CPHIA Conference, Drawing 30,000 Public Health Experts
Michael Gwarisa The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that Ethiopia will host the 2026 edition of the International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), one of the continent’s premier gatherings for health professionals and policymakers. The fifth CPHIA conference will take place from November 1 to 5 in Addis Ababa,
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Zimbabwe Hosts COHESA Conference to Design Regional One Health Network
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is hosting a regional conference under the Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) initiative aimed at strengthening collaboration and designing a regional One Health network. The meeting has brought together experts from across Eastern and Southern Africa to improve coordination in addressing health threats affecting humans, animals, and the
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No New Cholera Cases in Zimbabwe, but Africa CDC Urges Stronger Case Management
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has not recorded any confirmed cholera cases in the past 15 days, a senior official from the Ministry of Health and Child Care has said, signalling progress in containing the latest outbreak. Recent cases were largely confined to Rushinga, a community along the Zimbabwe Mozambique border. The index case involved a male
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Leaked Memo Shows U.S. May Cut HIV Aid to Zambia to Secure Mineral Access
Michael Gwarisa A report in The New York Times reveals that the U.S. State Department is considering a significant reduction in health assistance to Zambia as a negotiating tool to gain greater access to the country’s critical minerals. According to The New York Times, a draft memo prepared for Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggests
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Africa Cervical Cancer Diagnostics Still Very Low – Africa CDC
Michael Gwarisa As the world marks Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has raised concern over the continent’s low diagnostic capacity for cervical cancer, a gap that has contributed to preventable loss of life over many years. Regional data shows that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 23 percent of
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