Category: BREAKING NEWS

WHO Unveils New Leadership Team Amid Sweeping Structural Reforms and Workforce Reductions

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a major overhaul of its leadership and internal structure, reflecting a decisive push to improve cost efficiency and sharpen its focus on core health priorities. Speaking from Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus laid out the scale of the transformation, which includes deep organizational restructuring and significant reductions in staff numbers. In short, we are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to improve cost efficiency,” said Dr Tedros. “But even so, the hard truth is that we need…

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Zimbabwe Joins Rollout of First-Ever Oral Treatment for Deadly Sleeping Sickness

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is among five African countries that have started administering the world’s first all-oral treatment for Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense sleeping sickness—a rare but deadly disease that has long affected communities in East and Southern Africa. The development marks a turning point in the fight against this neglected tropical disease, especially in endemic regions like Zimbabwe, where tsetse fly infestations remain a concern. The new drug, Fexinidazole Winthrop, is now being offered free of charge in specialized treatment centres in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its approval…

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Africa CDC Denies World Bank Ordered Layoffs, Clarifies Internal Staffing Review

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has strongly refuted claims that the World Bank directed the institution to cut dozens of staff positions, describing the assertion as factually incorrect and misleading. In an official statement issued on 12 May 2025, Africa CDC expressed concern over a recent article published by Devex, titled “Exclusive: World Bank directs Africa CDC to cut dozens of positions.” The organization said the headline and the article’s framing risk distorting internal developments that are part of a broader strategic…

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Half of UNAIDS Employees Set to Lose Jobs Amid Major Restructuring

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa UNAIDS is set to cut half of its workforce as the organization grapples with significant funding shortfalls and a shifting global donor landscape. According to internal communications, staff were informed during a town hall meeting on Tuesday that the number of employees will be reduced from around 600 to between 280 and 300. The move is part of a broader restructuring effort triggered by deep funding cuts from traditional donors, including the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia. In response, UNAIDS is considering relocating many positions…

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US Cuts UNFPA Funding, Threatening Millions of Lives and Maternal Health Gains Globally

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, has expressed deep regret following the United States government’s decision to halt future funding to the organization, a move that could reverse decades of progress in maternal health and reproductive rights. The US government announced its intention to cut funding by invoking the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, citing long-debunked claims about UNFPA’s alleged involvement in coercive reproductive practices in China. Multiple independent investigations, including by US government agencies, have found no evidence to support these allegations.…

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Africa Accelerates Genomic Science to Tackle Epidemic Threats

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Addis Ababa Africa is increasingly becoming the frontline of global disease outbreaks. According to data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the continent recorded a 40% increase in outbreaks, from 152 in 2022 to 213 in 2024. In the past year alone, Africa has battled multiple health threats, including a deadly cholera outbreak in Southern Africa, escalating cases of Mpox in Central and East Africa, and Marburg and Ebola outbreaks in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda respectively. While many of these outbreaks…

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Global Fund Procures African-Made First-Line HIV Treatment

Michael Gwarisa

By HealthTimes Reporter  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) has reached a historic milestone by procuring – for the first time – a first-line HIV treatment manufactured in Africa. The treatment – lifesaving, quality-assured antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) called TLD (tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir), prequalified by the World Health Organization – was sourced from a leading Kenyan pharmaceutical company and delivered to Mozambique. The volume supplied can treat over 72,000 people per year in the country. This historic milestone highlights the Global Fund’s strong commitment…

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Strengthening Nutrition Information Systems Vital for NDS-2 Success

Michael Gwarisa

By Blessing V. Bonga There is a critical need to revamp the Food and Nutrition Council (FNC)’s information system in order to continue extracting ground truth in information to inform National Development Strategy 2 (NDS-2) on the basis of evidence and household dynamics in a bid to arrest all forms of malnutrition, a senior Council official has said. Speaking on the sidelines of FNC’s 4th Annual General Meeting held in Harare on Tuesday, Council Director General, Dr George Kembo said his organisation is worried about malnutrition and called for a…

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Africa CDC Urges Media to Champion Health Security at Journalist Workshop in Addis Ababa

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has urged African journalists to play a more active role in combating disease outbreaks and the growing threat of health misinformation, as the second continental media roundtable workshop opened today in Addis Ababa. In his opening remarks, Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Acting Deputy Director General of Africa CDC, highlighted the media’s unique ability to influence public perception and promote accurate health information across the continent. You shape narratives, fight misinformation, and connect institutions like Africa…

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Womandla Foundation Champions Girls’ Empowerment in Midlands Province

Michael Gwarisa

By HealthTimes Reporter In the heart of Zimbabwe’s Midlands Province, the Womandla Foundation is transforming the lives of adolescent girls through a powerful blend of mentorship, education, and empowerment. In partnership with the Graça Machel Trust’s Pan African Adolescent Girls Movement, Womandla is working toward an ambitious target — to reach 10,000 adolescent girls by 2026, keeping them in school and equipping them for the future. At the core of this initiative are the Pasipemuti Talks, interactive sessions where girls engage on crucial topics such as sexual and reproductive health…

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