Author: Kuda Pembere

ZiCHIRe Expands Outreach in Hopely with Brotha2Brotha Campaign

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The Zimbabwe Community Health Intervention Research project (ZiCHIRe) on Friday held an awareness campaign under the Brotha2Brotha initiative targeting adolescent boys and young men. The campaign comes in the nick of time as many programs in the Sexual Reproductive Health space have been pregnant with activities centred on adolescent girls and young women. Speaking with HealthTimes, Tonderai Mushove , Brotha2Brotha Program Coordinator at ZICHIRE said the event provided their target population, the males aged between 10 and 24, an opportunity to get information on SRH services. The…

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WAG Welcomes High Court Ruling Striking Down Parts of Abortion Law

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The Women’s Action Group (WAG) has commended the judiciary for a landmark ruling that struck down parts of Zimbabwe’s abortion law. The High Court declared unconstitutional several provisions of the Termination of Pregnancy Act, ruling that they violate fundamental rights, particularly those of mentally ill women and victims of sexual abuse in mental health institutions. Justice Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba, delivering the judgment, ruled that section 4(a) of the law governing circumstances under which a pregnancy may be lawfully terminated “to the extent that it excludes mental health” fails…

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City of Harare Confirms Widespread Outbreak Across Suburbs

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Harare is grappling with a Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, with nearly 600 cases reported across the capital. As of November 20, City of Harare Epidemiologist Dr Michael Vere confirmed 575 cases, most of them concentrated in the Mabvuku-Tafara suburbs. “Yes, indeed, we’ve been recording hand, foot and mouth disease cases throughout the city of Harare. These children, usually those under the age of 10, are presenting with blisters on the hands, feet, around the lips and inside the oral cavity,” Dr Vere said. He noted…

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Health Minister Warns AMR Could Reverse Medical Progress

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Uncontrolled Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has the potential to reverse decades of medical progress and increase the severity of infections once treatable, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora warned on Thursday. Speaking at the opening of the Zimbabwe Antimicrobial Resistance Scientific Conference, Dr Mombeshora said AMR is more than a public health issue. “Antimicrobial Resistance or AMR is more than a health concern. It is a developmental, agricultural and societal issue. If left unchecked, it could undo decades of progress in medicine and make common infections…

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Exclusive: Finance Minister Promises Major Health Budget Increase in 2026 Fiscal Plan

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere On November 27, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube will unveil the 2026 National Budget, promising a sizeable increase in funding for health services, HealthTimes has learned. After years of missing the Abuja Declaration target of 15 percent, the Treasury chief, after a Post Cabinet Media Briefing stated there will be a “quantum” increase. “Yes, look, the health sector budget will go up every year, the quantum will go up for sure, but as a percentage of the overall budget, we will try to stick to the Abuja…

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NBSZ Targets 7 800 Units for the 2025 Festive Season

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has launched its Festive Season Blood Collection Campaign, urging Zimbabweans to donate blood in large numbers as demand for the life-saving resource traditionally increases during the holidays. The festive period is also associated with a rise in road traffic accidents, which places additional pressure on the national blood supply. Speaking during the launch, NBSZ Chief Executive Officer Lucy Marowa said the organisation decided to begin this year’s campaign earlier to prevent shortages. Okay, we normally see a 10 to 15% roughly…

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Govt Explores Hybrid Nursing Training Funding Model

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere In a move aimed at widening access to nursing training, Government is planning a hybrid funding model that cuts back on the number of state-sponsored students while making room for self-paying applicants, HealthTimes has learned. Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Hon. Sleiman Kwidini revealed to this publication that the Ministry is working on restructuring the financing model for nursing education, similar to arrangements already used in the Ministry of Education. Speaking in Parliament earlier on Tuesday, Hon. Kwidini had noted that concerns around nursing recruitment were…

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Health Ministry enforces 75% Local Quota in Nursing Schools

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Following concerns from Parliamentarians that many students were failing to secure places in nursing schools, a top Health Ministry official says a quota system has been introduced. Under the system, 75 percent of recruited students must come from the district or province where the training school is located. This policy is part of the decentralization of nurse training in Zimbabwe, which began last year. In an interview with HealthTimes, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. Sleiman Kwidini, said implementation of the quota system started…

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Dr Mombeshora Charts Path for Stronger, Fairer Health System

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere As Zimbabwe transitions into the second phases of the National Development Strategy (NDS2) and the National Health Strategy (NHS2), Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora says the government has identified six priority areas to build a resilient, equitable, and high-performing public health system. Officiating at the Health Ministry’s Strategic Review and Planning Meeting in Mutare, Dr Mombeshora said the new phase would focus on ensuring health services reach every citizen. This year marks a significant turning point. We are closing the chapter on NDS1 and…

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Health Services Suffer as Budget Remains Unused

Kuda Pembere

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 Ministry had spent only 25 percent of its allocation by mid-year, compared to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, which had already spent 116 percent of its budget. Health Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has…

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