Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Childhood Obesity Emerging as a Global Public Health Crisis

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  Childhood obesity is rapidly becoming one of the most pressing public health challenges worldwide, with millions of children now overweight or obese, according to a new global nutrition report. The report reveals that between 1990 and 2022, the number of children living with obesity soared from 31 million to 58 million, while the number of overweight children rose from 61 million to 104 million. Together, this means more than 160 million children globally are either overweight or obese, a staggering rise that health experts warn poses serious…

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Dust, Gold, and Infection: Midlands Province Grapples with Mining-Driven HIV Epidemic

Michael Gwarisa
A young artisanal miner operates a lever at a mine shaft in Gokwe, Zimbabwe, highlighting the risks faced by children working in unsafe mining environments.

By Michael Gwarisa in Midlands Province As one descends the winding Boterekwa curves in Shurugwi in the Midlands province, the scale of mining activity becomes impossible to ignore. The landscape has transformed dramatically since the turn of the millennium. In the distance, rocks are blasted from the earth, sending thick clouds of dust into the sky. Just past the curves, Musasa Shopping Centre is a hive of activity. Evidence of the night’s revelry litters the open space, with empty beer bottles and used condoms scattered near Chirasha Bar, one of…

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Sperm Cells May Carry Traces of Childhood Stress, Study Finds

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  New research suggests that fathers who experienced high levels of stress during childhood may carry traces of that trauma in their sperm, potentially influencing their offspring — though scientists caution that more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions. The study, published on January 3, 2025, in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, examined the epigenetics of sperm cells from men exposed to significant childhood stress. Epigenetics refers to chemical or molecular modifications that affect how DNA is read, without altering the underlying genetic code. These changes can influence…

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UNAIDS Welcomes US Move to Expand HIV Prevention Access

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  UNAIDS welcomes the announcement by the US State Department that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will be supporting an initiative by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to provide lenacapavir to up to 2 million people in countries with high burdens of HIV. Lenacapavir, an American-based innovation, is one of the most promising new HIV prevention tools that has emerged in the HIV response, offering protection against HIV with just twice-yearly injections. The breakthrough medicine will save thousands of lives if…

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Donor Funding Cuts Deal Major Blow To Male Circumcision Programs In Midlands Province

Michael Gwarisa
Dr. Mary Muchekeza, Provincial Medical Director for Midlands, addressing journalists in Gweru on the impact of donor funding cuts on voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) programs.

By Michael Gwarisa in Gweru The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has warned of a decline in the coverage of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) in the Midlands province owing to major disruptions in donor funding earlier this year. For more than a decade, Zimbabwe’s VMMC program has relied heavily on external financing, particularly from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. However, following the freeze…

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Village Delivery Turns Deadly: How Home Births in Gokwe Are Fueling New HIV Infections

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Gokwe South When Sister Farisai Mlambo, the nurse in charge at Katema Clinic in rural Gokwe South, spoke in an interview with HealthTimes on the sidelines of a Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) dialogue, she revealed a chilling case that has unsettled health workers and traditional leaders in the area. “We had an unusual case here, a baby delivered to HIV-negative parents tested HIV positive. Upon further investigation, we discovered that the delivery had been conducted in the village by a traditional birth attendant. The baby…

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Cimas Health Group Set to Host Third Edition of Pedal to W3llness Cycling Event

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  Cimas Health Group has announced September 27, 2025, as the date for the third edition of its flagship cycling event, Pedal to W3llness, an initiative aimed at promoting cardiovascular fitness and healthy living among Zimbabweans. The event, organised through the health group’s wellness division iGo, will take place at Borrowdale Office Park in Harare, which will serve as both the start and finishing point. Open to all—including professional cyclists, beginners, and children—the Pedal to W3llness event has grown into a major fixture on the health and wellness…

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Report Exposes Gaps in Zimbabwe’s Devolution Implementation

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A new study has revealed that Zimbabwe’s devolution programme, though enshrined in the 2013 Constitution, has had limited impact on improving public service delivery, particularly for women and girls. The report, titled A Critical Analysis of the Impact of Devolution on Public Service Provision in Zimbabwe: A Gendered Perspective on Access, Quality, and Affordability in Health, Education, and Water and Sanitation for Women and Girls, was launched by a consortium of civil society organisations with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). It highlights persistent challenges…

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Women Miners Demand Inclusion in New Mines and Minerals Bill

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Women in artisanal mining have called for their voices to be included in Zimbabwe’s new Mines and Minerals Act, currently at the bill stage, arguing that the legislation must reflect the lived realities of women miners who remain sidelined in the sector. Speaking at the Women in Mining Conference in Harare, held under the theme “Empowering Women in Artisanal Mining: Advancing Gender Equity, Economic Justice, and Environmental Sustainability,” women miners said exclusion from decision-making structures has left them vulnerable to exploitation and inequality. WCoZ National Coordinating Committee…

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Zimbabwe Legislator to Move Motion in Parliament to Make DNA Testing Mandatory at Birth

Michael Gwarisa
Honourable Bridget Nyandoro addressing a GBV symposium in Harare where she announced plans to push for mandatory DNA testing at birth in Parliament

By Michael Gwarisa As calls for mandatory DNA testing grow louder, Southerton Constituency Legislator Honourable Bridget Nyandoro has indicated she will soon move a motion in Parliament to make DNA testing compulsory for all children at birth. Her proposal comes amid rising cases of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide linked to paternity disputes, as more cases of negative paternity results continue to surface. Speaking during an Action Indaba on GBV symposium in Harare, Hon. Nyandoro said, “I am going to move a motion in Parliament to have mandatory DNA testing…

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