Category: BREAKING NEWS

Zimbabwe Joins Global #MedSafetyWeek Campaign to Promote Safer Use of Medicines

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter Zimbabwe has joined 129 other partner organisations worldwide to mark the 10th anniversary of the #MedSafetyWeek campaign, which promotes the safe use of medicines through increased public reporting of side effects. Running from 3–9 November 2025, the campaign seeks to encourage patients, families, and healthcare professionals to report any suspected side effects of medicines to improve global drug safety. The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) is spearheading the local awareness efforts, highlighting that reporting even minor side effects can help protect others and strengthen regulatory oversight.…

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Insurance Compensation Activated for Bindura-Mt Darwin Highway Accident Victims

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter  The Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) has announced the immediate activation of insurance cover to provide compensation and support for the victims of the fatal bus accident that occurred on the Bindura-Mt Darwin Highway on Wednesday, 29 October 2025. The tragic incident claimed six lives and left several others injured, prompting an outpouring of national grief. In a press statement released on Thursday, the ICZ, which represents non-life insurers and reinsurers in the country, extended its “profound and heartfelt condolences” to the bereaved families and the nation.…

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PHD Church Leader Walter Magaya Arrested Over Rape and Fraud Allegations

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter  The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has confirmed the arrest of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader, Walter Magaya, in connection with multiple reports of rape and fraud. According to a statement released by ZRP spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi, Magaya was taken into custody early Saturday morning in Harare by a police crack team. Authorities said investigations are underway, and more details will be released in due course. The high-profile arrest has sparked widespread public interest, given Magaya’s prominence in Zimbabwe’s religious and social circles. HealthTimes will…

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Africa CDC Strengthens Mpox Response through Additional Vaccine Support from Bavarian Nordic

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Africa CDC has received an additional donation of 110,000 doses of mpox vaccines from Bavarian Nordic to support the ongoing response to the mpox outbreak across the continent. The vaccines have been allocated to Uganda, one of the countries most affected in 2025, through the Mpox Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM), coordinated by Africa CDC in collaboration with key global health partners. This contribution significantly increases vaccine availability in Uganda and strengthens the continent’s ability to respond swiftly and equitably to ongoing outbreaks. H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC, said: “Africa…

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NAC Hands Over Blood and Renal Units to Parirenyatwa Hospital

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The National AIDS Council (NAC) has officially handed over two critical health projects, a Family Blood Bank and a Renal Diagnostic Unit, to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, in a move set to boost the quality of healthcare services in Zimbabwe. Speaking at the handover ceremony on Tuesday, NAC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bernard Madzima said the new facilities represent NAC’s commitment to strengthening the country’s health system beyond the HIV and AIDS response. We are gathered here to…

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DNA reveals the real killers that brought down Napoleon’s army

Healthtimes

By Linda Gedde Napoleon’s march on Moscow remains one of history’s most catastrophic military retreats. As his army withdrew, tens of thousands perished. But what killed them? There was hunger and cold, but also a mysterious illness that was long thought to be typhus. Now, more than two centuries later, DNA from the soldiers’ teeth is rewriting that history, suggesting the answer instead could be bacteria that cause enteric and relapsing fevers. “It’s very exciting to use a technology we have today, to detect and diagnose something that was buried for…

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Zambia launches malaria vaccine to protect over half a million children

Michael Gwarisa

Lusaka – The Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Ministry of Health, today officially launched the malaria vaccine (R21/Matrix-M) as part of its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), marking a historic milestone in the country’s fight against malaria. Over 500 000 children aged 6‒8 months will be vaccinated in the months following the launch. Malaria remains one of Zambia’s leading causes of illness and death, particularly among children under five years of age. In 2023 alone, malaria incidence among this age group rose to 523 cases per 1000 population, according to the…

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Two Children Die, 14 Others Critically Ill After Suspected Food Poisoning in Mashava

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Two children have died while 14 others, including seven adults and four children, are battling for their lives following a suspected case of food poisoning in Mashava, Masvingo Province. According to a statement released by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the victims reportedly fell ill after eating food and drinking mahewu during a traditional beer ceremony held on October 27, 2025. The deceased minors were aged three and seven. The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating a sad incident where two children died while 14 others, who include…

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MCAZ Inches Closer to WHO Maturity Level 4 Recognition

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) is on the cusp of attaining Maturity Level 4 under the World Health Organization’s Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT), with only a few final steps remaining. This was revealed by MCAZ Director General Mr. Richard Rukwata during the Authority’s 7th Annual General Meeting held in Harare on Friday. Among the accolades MCAZ has earned, Rukwata highlighted the GBT as a significant milestone. He described it as the first intercontinental benchmark that allows every agency to be measured by the same standard.…

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WHO, Africa CDC Commence Countdown to Declare DRC Ebola-Free

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Durban Just over a month since the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared an Ebola outbreak, African health authorities say the situation is now under control, and the outbreak could soon be declared over. On September 4, 2025, the DRC Ministry of Public Health announced an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Kasai Province. The index case was a 32-year-old pregnant woman from Bulape Health Zone in Kasai. Since then, 53 confirmed cases have been reported from 923 samples collected, with 34 confirmed deaths. However,…

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