Author: Michael Gwarisa

Editor for HealthTimes, Zimbabwe's leading online health news publication

WHO Warns Against Using Antibiotics to Treat COVID-19 or Flu

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued updated guidelines strongly advising against the use of antibiotics to treat COVID-19 or influenza, emphasizing that these medications are ineffective against viral infections and contribute to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The guidelines, outlined in a recent WHO evidence brief, stress that antibiotics should only be prescribed for bacterial infections, not viral illnesses like COVID-19 or the flu. Misuse of antibiotics during the pandemic has exacerbated AMR, a global health crisis that could render common infections untreatable in…

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No, Sperm Don’t Win the Race. Human Eggs Actually Choose Which Ones to Let In, New Study Finds

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In what could revolutionize our understanding of human reproduction, a groundbreaking study by researchers at Stockholm University, in collaboration with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, has revealed that human eggs play a far more active role in fertilization than previously believed. For decades, the dominant narrative around conception has likened it to a high-speed race where the fastest sperm reaches and fertilizes the egg first. However, this new research, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests otherwise. It turns out that human eggs…

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Union Zimbabwe Trust Rolls Out Groundbreaking TB and Silicosis Screening Drive in Mining Hubs of Mberengwa and Zvishavane

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  The Union Zimbabwe Trust (UZT), with funding from the Stop TB Partnership (Global), has launched an innovative tuberculosis (TB) screening outreach programme aimed at boosting early detection and treatment in high-risk artisanal mining communities in Mberengwa and Zvishavane. The initiative employs a mobile outreach model, featuring ultra-portable digital X-ray machines enhanced with CAD-AI (Computer-Aided Diagnosis) technology. This allows for real-time interpretation of X-ray images to detect abnormalities suggestive of TB and silicosis. The programme also includes rapid field specimen testing for diagnosis and integrates screening for other…

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UNICEF Raises Alarm Over Surge in Vaccine Hesitancy Among Zimbabwe’s Urban Elite

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa While vaccine resistance has traditionally been associated with impoverished communities and apostolic sects, Zimbabwe is now experiencing a concerning rise in vaccine hesitancy among affluent urban populations. Recent data from the WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC), 2024, shows that approximately 34,000 children in Zimbabwe go without basic vaccinations each year. Speaking at a Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians symposium in Harare, Dr. Lucia Takundwa Gumbo, a Health Specialist with UNICEF Zimbabwe, highlighted the shifting landscape of vaccine objectors in the country. I believe there…

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Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians Poised to Strengthen Health System through Data-Driven Collaboration

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa HARARE – Zimbabwe’s ongoing efforts to improve public health outcomes could receive a major boost through strengthened collaboration with expert institutions such as the Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians (ZCPHP), government officials and experts have said. Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians Winter Symposium in Harare, Dr. Agnes Mahomva, the Public Health Advisor to the President and Cabinet, said the ZCPHP’s renewed commitment to supporting the national health agenda comes at a critical time when the country…

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Trump administration to burn $13M worth of female contraceptives, despite NGO’s offer to take them

Michael Gwarisa

The U.S. State Department plans to incinerate roughly $13.2 million worth of women’s contraceptives despite offers from multiple aid agencies to distribute the supplies at no cost. The supplies, which include various forms of birth control, were intended for family planning programs in low-income African nations. Instead, they’ve been sitting in a warehouse in Belgium for months after President Donald Trump’s administration froze most foreign aid in January. MSI Reproductive Choices, a U.K.-based global reproductive health organization, says it offered to take the supplies and distribute them to those in…

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CWGH Urges Transparency and Equity in Zimbabwe’s 2025 Budget Allocation

Michael Gwarisa

By Itai Rusike The 2025 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review, presented by the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion on 31 July 2025, comes at a time when Zimbabwe is recovering from a tough economic year. A projected economic rebound to 6.0% in 2025, from 1.7% in 2024, largely attributed to a strong agricultural season, is commendable. However, the country remains largely informal, with 76.1% of businesses operating outside the formal economy. This high informality weakens domestic resource mobilisation, constraining sustainable development. Public debt remains a critical challenge.…

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#BREAKING: Zimbabwe to Roll Out Revolutionary Contraceptive Ring for Women

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has launched the Contraceptive Acceptability Research (CARE), a pioneering study that will assess the acceptability, feasibility, and uptake of the Annovera contraceptive ring among women and adolescent girls in the country. The study, introduced this week, marks a significant step towards enhancing access to a wider range of contraceptive options, aligning with both national and global goals to empower women and girls to take greater control of their sexual and reproductive health. The Annovera ring is a user-controlled, long-acting, and reversible contraceptive method. Designed for use…

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Cimas Health Group Backs Life-Saving Paediatric Heart Surgeries

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  As Zimbabwe pushes for greater private sector involvement in public healthcare revitalisation, leading healthcare provider Cimas Health Group has once again stepped up to support a critical national health intervention — the recently concluded Egypt–Zimbabwe Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Mission, also known as Open Heart Camp 2. Held at Parirenyatwa Hospital, the week-long surgical camp was led by a team of Egyptian cardiac specialists working in collaboration with Zimbabwean medical professionals. The initiative successfully delivered life-saving open-heart surgeries to 10 children, aged between six months and ten years,…

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World Breastfeeding Week: Urgent Call as Just 1 in 5 Zimbabwean Infants Receive Exclusive Breastfeeding

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa As the world observes World Breastfeeding Week from August 1 to 7, Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ) is calling for urgent action to reverse a sharp decline in exclusive breastfeeding rates and address the deeply rooted cultural, economic, and systemic challenges threatening infant health across the country. According to Chisichawo Mutendadzamera, Nutrition Manager at NAZ, World Breastfeeding Week presents a strategic opportunity to galvanize action. Breast milk is the ultimate natural vaccine. It provides the perfect balance of nutrients, is easy to digest, and protects against common childhood…

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