Category: BREAKING NEWS

Avenues Clinic’s Five-Star Renovation Could Heal Even a Broken Heart

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  There are hospitals, and then there are healing sanctuaries. The moment you walk into the newly refurbished wings of Avenues Clinic in Harare, a quiet calm settles over you. The space exudes class, care and compassion. The atmosphere is warm, the lighting gentle, and the décor feels less like a hospital and more like a high-end wellness retreat. Here, healing begins the moment you enter, long before any medicine is prescribed. The new look could quite literally heal even a broken heart. In a tour of the…

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ZICHIRE Takes Fight Against Drug Abuse and Teen Pregnancies to Epworth

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere The Zimbabwe Community Health Intervention Research Project (ZICHIRE) took its campaign against drug and substance abuse, as well as teenage pregnancies, to Epworth last Friday. Amid growing concerns over these social ills across the country, ZICHIRE noted that men often avoid visiting health facilities. In response, the organization conducted an integrated outreach at Solani Shopping Centre in Epworth to bridge this gap. Speaking to HealthTimes during the outreach, Samantha Mugudubi, ZICHIRE’s Programs Officer for Epworth, explained that they were targeting men—who typically shun health facilities—with various health…

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CEREVITA Boosts Nutrition and Local Pride as Nestlé Expands Production in Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

By HealthTimes Reporter Nestlé Zimbabwe has ramped up production of its flagship wholegrain breakfast cereal, CEREVITA, as part of a US$7 million investment into local manufacturing. The move promises to enhance national nutrition, improve food security, and reinforce Zimbabwe’s growing reputation as a regional cereal hub. Driven by Nestlé’s global purpose to unlock the power of food to enhance quality of life, the investment is already bearing fruit. The increased availability of CEREVITA across Zimbabwe is not just meeting growing consumer demand but also promoting healthier eating habits through a…

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U.S. Embassy Warns Against Using Pregnancy to Secure U.S. Visas Through Birth Citizenship

Michael Gwarisa

By HealthTimes Breifs   The U.S. Embassy has issued a stern warning to visa applicants, cautioning against using travel visas primarily to give birth in the United States for the purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for their child. In a message shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the embassy stated that consular officers would deny visa applications if they suspect such intent. The statement also highlighted that visa misuse, particularly when it involves accessing public funds, could lead to denial or long-term bans from entering the United States. “Don’t…

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The Hidden Health Toll of Urban Heat: Africa’s Concrete Jungles and the Rise of Climate-Sensitive Diseases

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Africa is battling a number of adverse climatic catastrophes, and over the past five years, climate change is no longer a distant threat across the continent. In African cities, it has become an everyday reality, intensifying urban heat and deepening public health risks. Rising temperatures, prolonged heatwaves, and shrinking green spaces are combining to create “concrete jungles,” densely built environments where heat becomes trapped and air pollution festers. According to experts, this urban heat effect, worsened by poor ventilation and limited vegetation, is now driving a rise…

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EMF Medical Aid Society Reinforces Commitment to Quality Healthcare with Digital Innovation and Expanded Wellness Benefits

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa EMF Medical Aid Society has reaffirmed its dedication to delivering accessible, innovative, and member-centric healthcare at its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Society unveiled a forward-thinking strategy designed to meet the evolving health needs of Zimbabweans. Against the backdrop of a turbulent economic climate in 2024, EMF showcased resilience and innovation in service delivery, with the launch of new digital tools, expanded wellness services, and plans to extend coverage to the informal sector. One of the flagship developments of the past year was the successful introduction of…

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Spain and Luxembourg Make Increased Pledges Toward the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment

Michael Gwarisa

SEVILLE – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) warmly welcomes the renewed and increased commitments from Spain and Luxembourg to end the three epidemics as public health threats, strengthen health and community systems, and bolster global health security. Spain and Luxembourg came together at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, to jointly announce increased commitments to the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment. Spain pledged €145 million, and Luxembourg pledged €13.8 million – both marking an increase over their respective commitments at the…

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Chirembawangu: Zimbabwe’s New Health App Promising To Revolutionize Chronic Illness Care

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A group of young Zimbabwean innovators is gearing up to transform how people manage chronic illnesses, not in hospitals, but right from their mobile phones. At the heart of this bold digital leap is Chirembawangu, a locally built mobile application and AI-powered platform designed to help patients with diabetes, hypertension, and asthma monitor, manage, and thrive despite their diagnoses. The app is the brainchild of Dr. Webster Alubi, a medical intern at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, and his team at Apexphere Holdings, a budding software company on…

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Combustible Cigarettes Don’t Belong to the 21st Century – Gontkovičová

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa recently in Cape Town As the world intensifies efforts to reduce tobacco-related disease and death, the call to phase out combustible cigarettes is growing louder, and now, one of the most senior voices in the tobacco industry has declared that these products no longer belong in the modern age. Speaking at the 2025 Technovation Summit in Cape Town, Andrea Gontkovičová, Vice President of External Affairs for Philip Morris International (PMI), made a bold declaration. It looks like Africa is really missing out on this opportunity, on the…

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Media Must Lead the Charge in Ending HIV Stigma, Says Health Minister

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa As Zimbabwe grapples with persistently high levels of stigma against people living with HIV (PLHIV), the media has been called upon to champion responsible, inclusive, and stigma-free reporting to support national HIV response efforts. Despite international targets urging countries to reduce HIV-related stigma to below 5% by 2025, Zimbabwe’s HIV Stigma Index tells a troubling story. According to the latest data, stigma currently affects nearly 70% of PLHIV and other key and vulnerable populations in Zimbabwe—an increase from 65.5% in 2014. Speaking at a media engagement breakfast…

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