Author: Kuda Pembere

Health Minister Dr Mombeshora appoints new boards for NatPharm, HPA, MRCZ and ZNFPC

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The Ministry of Health and Child Care on Friday inaugurated new boards for four of its key parastatals, marking the start of fresh mandates for the institutions. The newly appointed boards are for the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ), the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm), the Health Professions Authority (HPA) and the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC). Speaking to journalists after the inauguration of the boards, Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the first board to be inaugurated was NatPharm, which has been mandated…

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Zimbabwe Receives Mobile Clinics to Boost Health Care in Remote Areas

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has received mobile clinic vans and staff minibuses from Cordaid Zimbabwe, with support from the World Bank, valued at more than US$3 million. The vehicles were procured under the Zimbabwe COVID-19 Response and Essential Health Services Project (ZCREHSP), which was implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care between April and June 2025. The vehicles are valued at a total of US$3,069,547.75. The mobile clinic vans are fully equipped with medical infrastructure that includes waiting areas, treatment rooms, maternity delivery rooms, air conditioning, fitted cupboards,…

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Zim Launches One Health Strategic Plan

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe on Thursday launched its One Health Strategic Plan to guide the country in addressing interconnected environmental, animal and human health threats. The strategy brings together the Ministries of Health and Child Care, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, and Environment, Climate and Wildlife under a coordinated One Health framework. In a show of political will at the highest level and officiating at the launch, Vice President Kembo Mohadi, representing President Emmerson Mnangagwa, urged all stakeholders to work collaboratively rather than in isolation. “Addressing the current…

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Nyamapanda’s Hidden Corridor: Smuggled Medicines, Bribes and National Losses

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere In the border town of Nyamapanda, about 240 kilometres north-east of Harare, a narrow footpath winds quietly into Cuchamano, on the Mozambican side of the  border. The track begins just after Nyamapanda Clinic and winds toward an unofficial crossing used by those avoiding the main border post. Motorcycles and bicycles are a common sight as we approach the point, roughly 1.5 kilometres from the clinic. It is along this thin strip of land, reachable only by motorcycle, bicycle or on foot, that an unsanctioned network of runners,…

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Senate urged to fast-track abortion law amendment to protect minors

Kuda Pembere

By Staff Reporter Girls’ rights activists have urged the Senate to urgently pass proposed amendments to Zimbabwe’s Termination of Pregnancy Act, arguing that the changes are necessary to protect adolescent girls from unsafe abortions and to bring the law into line with the Constitution. The call was made on Tuesday by a coalition of organisations working in women’s rights and child protection, who said delays in approving the amendment were putting the lives of minors at risk. The activists also challenged lobbying by some religious groups that have opposed the…

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Calls Mount to Amend ZYC Act to Protect Youth-Led Organizations

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Citing the heavy-handed provisions of the Private Voluntary Organizations (PVO) Act, youth organizations in the development programming space have urged the government to review the Zimbabwe Youth Council Act. Some youth-led organizations especially Youth Associations and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) have been operating under Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) registration, but the introduction of the PVO Act may cripple their operations. Speaking at a Stakeholder Breakfast Engagement Meeting organized by ZYC and Students and Youth Working on reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT), Mr Kunaka, SAYWHAT Head of Grants…

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Zimbabwe Moves to Institutionalise Public Health Intelligence with PHIZ Steering Committee

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Government has set up a steering committee for the Public Health Institute of Zimbabwe (PHIZ), with Dr. Raiva Simbi appointed as the coordinator. Other members include Dr. Wenselous Nyamayaro, Dr. Pious Makaya, Dr. Agnes Mahomva, Brigadier General Dr. Godfrey Mutetse, Dr. Prosper Chonzi, Justice Ministry Permanent Secretary Mrs. Nyemba (represented by Salome Chihuri), Clotilda Chimbwanda, Dr. Christopher Pasi, Dr. Richard Makurumidze and Dr. Nyasha Masuka. Non-voting members include Dr. Rooney, Mrs. R. Matewe and Dr. Safi. Officiating at the launch of the steering committee, Health and Child…

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Breaking: Harare Records 161 Percent Spike in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease Cases

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The City of Harare has reported a sharp rise in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases in children, with infections now reaching a cumulative 1 500 cases since the first case was recorded. As of November 20, the city had reported 575 cases, meaning current infections represent a 161 percent increase. “Yes, we are experiencing an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in the city of Harare. We have now received in excess of 1,500 cases of hand, foot and mouth from all over the…

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The Protein Gap: How Feed and Fodder Shortfalls Are Undermining Nutrition and Cognitive Development in Zimbabwe

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere For most Zimbabwean households, access to protein-rich foods appears, at least on paper, to be relatively stable. According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC), 79 percent of households reported consuming protein-rich foods on a daily basis in 2022. Yet beneath this headline figure lies a more troubling nutritional reality, one that places milk and other livestock-sourced foods firmly out of reach for millions of families. The Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZIMLAC) 2025 report shows that milk and dairy products remain among the least consumed food items…

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Zimbabwe Pledges Millions for Contraceptives as Health Sector Faces Funding Gaps

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere When donor funding for Zimbabwe’s contraceptive commodities fell sharply over the past two years, the country found itself at a crossroads. For decades, external partners had bankrolled most contraceptive procurement, insulating the national family planning programme from the fiscal shocks that frequently affect the health sector. That cushion is now gone. Against this backdrop, Zimbabwe launched the Contraceptive Cost Recovery Framework Policy in October, signalling an important shift from dependency to domestic responsibility. The policy sets out how the country will mobilise internal resources to meet an…

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