“I’ll Fix It”: Elon Musk Responds to Outcry Over Lenacapavir Funding Halt

By Michael Gwarisa Billionaire Elon Musk, who also serves as an advisor to United States President Donald Trump, has hinted at intervening in the ongoing funding crisis affecting global HIV programs—particularly the rollout of Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking once-a-year HIV prevention drug. Musk made the remarks during a conversation with Bloomberg’s Mitchell Hussein at the Qatar Economic Forum. Hussein raised concerns about the global impact of HIV and AIDS funding cuts, especially the exclusion of critical HIV prevention programs like Lenacapavir from the current U.S. government funding waiver. The AIDS medication…

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Local NGO Plans to Revive Breastfeeding Room for Female Parliamentarians at New Parliament Building

By Michael Gwarisa Following the relocation of Zimbabwe’s Parliament to the new Mt Hampden parliament building, the Zimbabwe Civil Society Organisations Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance (ZCSOSUNA) is working to re-establish a breastfeeding room for female parliamentarians and staff. This initiative aims to promote and support breastfeeding in line with global health recommendations and recent national legislation. In 2021, ZCSOSUNA, with support from Parliament and Save the Children UK, launched a breastfeeding room at the old Parliament building in Harare’s Central Business District. The room provided a safe and private space…

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Chinhoyi University Student Designs Winter Pyjamas for Hospital Patients

By Michael Gwarisa  At a time when most university students are focused on grades and graduation, 24-year-old Melissa Bvunzawabaya is stitching together a different kind of legacy, one rooted in compassion and innovation. A final-year student at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), Melissa has designed a unique line of winter pyjamas tailored specifically for hospital patients, offering both warmth and dignity during some of their most vulnerable moments. The inspiration behind her project comes from a deeply personal place. Melissa recalls many times she visited health facilities to see admitted…

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Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive form’ of prostate cancer

Former US president’s office said the cancer cells had spread to the bone and Biden, 82, was reviewing treatment options with doctors Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has metastasised to the bone, and he and his family are reviewing treatment options with doctors, his office said in a statement on Sunday. Biden, 82, was seen last week by doctors after urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule was found. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer…

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Dr. Nyaradzo Mgodi Honored for Leadership in Landmark HIV Vaccine Study

By Michael Gwarisa Dr. Nyaradzo Mgodi, a renowned Zimbabwean clinician-researcher and the Site Leader for the University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Research Centre (UZ-CTRC) in Zengeza, has been awarded the prestigious HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Service Award for her outstanding leadership and contribution to the groundbreaking Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) study. The award was announced during the recent HVTN Full Group Meeting, a global gathering of leading scientists and researchers involved in HIV vaccine development. The AMP study, one of the most ambitious HIV prevention trials ever undertaken, investigated…

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#Breaking: Tanzania’s Prof. Janabi lands WHO Africa Regional Director post

By Kuda Pembere Professor Mohamed Janabi from Tanzania has been elected the new World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. He succeeds Dr. Matshidiso Moeti of Botswana, who served as Regional Director from 2015 to 2025. Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, also from Tanzania, had been elected as the next Regional Director but tragically passed away before taking office. As a result, Dr. Moeti remained in the position until the new appointment. Other candidates for the post included Professor Mijiyawa Moustafa from Togo, Dr. Dramé Mohammed Lamine from Guinea, and Dr.…

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Zim Has Enough ARVs to Last Through 2025, Says Health Minister Mombeshora

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has enough antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to last through the end of 2025, Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora said Friday, allaying public concerns over a looming shortage. Speaking to HealthTimes, Mombeshora assured the nation that the country has an eight-month supply of adult ARVs, sufficient to meet the needs of more than 1.1 million people living with HIV who are on first-line treatment. We have procured and secured enough medicines for 2024,” said Mombeshora at a workshop organized by the National AIDS Council (NAC). “We…

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Africa’s Mpox Fight Faces Setback Without Urgent Delivery of 6 Million Vaccine Doses

By Michael Gwarisa As Mpox infections continue to surge in parts of Africa, health experts are sounding the alarm over a critical shortage of vaccines that threatens to derail the continent’s response efforts. Despite signs of a decline in cases in countries such as Uganda and Burundi, Africa’s stockpile of Mpox vaccines is rapidly depleting, prompting calls for urgent international support. The warning comes as Sierra Leone experiences an exponential rise in new infections. In the past three weeks alone, the country has accounted for 58.2 percent of all confirmed…

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UNFPA, WFP MoU Seeks to Integrate Food Security and Health Services

By Michale Gwarisa  In a landmark move that marks a deepening of collaboration between two major United Nations agencies, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the integration of critical health and protection services into food assistance programmes across Zimbabwe. The new MoU aims to enhance the reach and impact of both organisations by delivering sexual and reproductive health services, family planning, and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention support at WFP food distribution points. The integrated…

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Harare Demolitions Begin: Council Cracks Down on Over 160 Illegal Settlement Sites

By Michael Gwarisa  In a sweeping move to restore order to Harare’s chaotic urban expansion, the City of Harare has launched a major demolition campaign targeting over 160 illegal settlements across the capital. The action follows recommendations from the Town Clerk’s Office and the City’s Regularisation Task Force, which identified more than 222 illegal developments on wetlands, school sites, and low-density areas—all falling outside the scope of the national regularisation agenda. The demolitions are part of a broader effort to align with the National Human Settlement Policy and National Development…

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