Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Budget line to operationalize Public Health Emergency Operation Centres on cards

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is working on establishing a dedicated budget line for the operationalization of the country’s Public Health Emergency Operation Centres (PHEOCs), amid dwindling external financial resources both globally and regionally. Speaking to journalists after officiating the ongoing Public Health Emergency Management Executive-Level Training, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, said steps are underway to introduce a legal instrument to formalize this budget line. Zimbabwe remains committed to the Lusaka Call to Action and the operationalization of public health emergency operation centres. We are…

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Multimorbidity in Zimbabwe: A Wake-Up Call for Health System Reform

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A landmark ethnographic study has raised urgent questions about Zimbabwe’s capacity to manage rising rates of multimorbidity, a growing health challenge defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic conditions in a single individual. Conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, the study explores how this issue intersects with systemic gaps in healthcare delivery, funding, policy, and frontline services. Published in PLOS Global Public Health, the study involved more than 130 participants, including patients living with multiple chronic conditions, healthcare…

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Linda Masarira Leads Petition Urging Mnangagwa to Declare State of Emergency for Zimbabwe’s Public Healthcare

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to rescue Zimbabwe’s public healthcare system from imminent collapse and prevent unnecessary deaths caused by a failing infrastructure, opposition leader Linda Masarira has launched a global petition urging President Emmerson Mnangagwa to declare the healthcare crisis a National Disaster. The petition calls for urgent allocation of resources to equip healthcare facilities and improve the working and living conditions of healthcare workers. To Sign The Petition, Click Here The petition, titled “Fix Zimbabwe’s Healthcare Crisis — Save Lives Now!”, has already been signed by more…

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Mbare Residents Refuse Fumigation Teams Entry Over Bed Bug Fears

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter The City of Harare has raised concerns following reports that some Mbare residents are refusing entry to municipal teams dispatched to fumigate their homes in an ongoing campaign to eradicate bed bugs. Although no official explanation has been provided for the resistance, social media posts suggest that some residents believe the fumigation exercise may be making the bed bugs more resistant to chemicals, rather than killing them. In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the City of Harare said: We have noted with concern reports…

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Single Injection Appears to Prevent Virtually All Allergic Reactions

Michael Gwarisa

We could be nearing a cure for those nasty spring allergies — and even allergic reactions altogether. A decades-old asthma medication called omalizumab, which is sold as Xolair, has shown that it can successfully treat seasonal allergies in preliminary clinical trials. Administered as a single injection, it represents a type of treatment using lab-made proteins known as monoclonal antibodies, which can cut off your body’s allergic response at its source. So whether it’s pollen or peanuts bothering you, it’s got you covered. The biggest advantage of antibody-based therapeutics is that they offer the…

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Zim Youths Join Global Call for Urgent Action on NCDs and Mental Health

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Zimbabwean youth leaders on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have joined their global peers in calling for immediate, bold action to tackle NCDs and mental health challenges, following the launch of the Kigali Youth Declaration at the Global NCD Alliance Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda. More than 60 youth representatives from over 40 countries, including delegates from Zimbabwe, co-created the Declaration, which demands stronger policies, greater investment in youth health, and the meaningful inclusion of young people in decision-making processes concerning NCDs and mental health. NCDs, including poor mental…

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Zimbabwe Struggles to Meet TB Reduction Target

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe’s efforts to curb tuberculosis (TB) infections have shown gradual progress, but significant challenges remain ahead of its 2026 target. The country had set an ambitious goal of reducing new TB infections to 48 per 100,000 people by 2026. As of 2024, however, TB incidence stood at 211 per 100,000, a notable improvement from 240 per 100,000 recorded the previous year. Speaking at a Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians (ZCPHP) TB meeting last Saturday, Dr. Rutendo Manyati, representing Dr. Fungai Kavenga, Deputy Director of the AIDS…

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Bedbugs (Tsikidzi) still confined to Mbare: Harare City

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Contrary to widespread reports that bed bugs (tsikidzi) have spread to other suburbs such as Mabvuku, Glen View, and Budiriro, Harare City says the infestation remains locked-in in Mbare. Providing an update, the local authority said it has deployed a team to verify social media claims about the bugs spreading to other areas. Harare City also noted that it has activated an Incident Management System to coordinate an effective response. “Following the recent bed bug infestation at Mbare Flats, the City Council has activated its Incident Management…

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Malaria Linked to Childhood Cancer in New Study

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  A groundbreaking new study published in The Journal of Immunology has unveiled how Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the deadliest strain of the parasite, contributes directly to the development of Burkitt lymphoma (BL) — the most common childhood cancer in equatorial Africa and New Guinea. The findings offer the strongest evidence yet linking malaria and childhood cancer, and could have far-reaching implications for cancer prevention strategies in malaria-endemic regions like Zimbabwe. Although scientists have long observed a correlation between P. falciparum malaria and Burkitt lymphoma, the biological mechanism behind…

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Zimbabwe Sees 150% Surge in Malaria Deaths by Week 15 Amid Alarming Rise in Cases

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Malaria deaths in Zimbabwe have surged by an alarming 150%, rising from 34 deaths in 2024 to 85 deaths in 2025 by week 15, according to official figures released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC). The country has also recorded a sharp 107% increase in malaria cases, jumping from 17,539 to 36,423 cases over the same period, raising concern over a potential reversal of hard-won gains in malaria control and elimination. The spike in malaria-related illness and fatalities comes as Zimbabwe joins the rest…

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