Category: Child Health

Youth Ministry and UNICEF Open New Innovation Hub for Young Zimbabweans

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe continues to grapple with rising drug and substance misuse, a trend often linked to idleness and high unemployment among young people. In response, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training has begun establishing social innovation hubs, with the latest launched at Ruwa Vocational Training Centre on Friday. The Ruwa Social Innovation Hub is a partnership between Government, UNICEF and Boost Fellowship. Speaking at the launch, which coincided with the Harare Province combined graduation ceremony, Minister Tinoda Machakaire said the event’s theme aligned strongly with…

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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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Zimbabwe Targets Sharp Drop in Neonatal Mortality

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The Health and Child Care Ministry is upbeat that Zimbabwe’s neonatal mortality rate will drop to 20 deaths per 1,000 live births within the next two years. Currently at 37 deaths per 1,000 live births, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Aspect Maunganidze, told HealthTimes on the sidelines of a Health Sector Working Group Meeting that strategies are already in place to achieve this target. Neo-natal mortality refers to the number of deaths during the first 28 completed days of life per 1000 live births. He also noted that…

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UNICEF Raises Alarm Over Surge in Vaccine Hesitancy Among Zimbabwe’s Urban Elite

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa While vaccine resistance has traditionally been associated with impoverished communities and apostolic sects, Zimbabwe is now experiencing a concerning rise in vaccine hesitancy among affluent urban populations. Recent data from the WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC), 2024, shows that approximately 34,000 children in Zimbabwe go without basic vaccinations each year. Speaking at a Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians symposium in Harare, Dr. Lucia Takundwa Gumbo, a Health Specialist with UNICEF Zimbabwe, highlighted the shifting landscape of vaccine objectors in the country. I believe there…

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Prioritizing Zimbabwe’s Children future in an uncertain time for Global Aid

Michael Gwarisa

By Etona Ekole One of the greatest joys of my work is meeting Zimbabwean children—bright, resilient, and full of dreams. There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing how a school meal, a safe classroom, or a kind health worker can transform a child’s life. However, with every success story, I see the urgent needs that remain—a child too small for their age due to stunting, a girl missing school due to lack of menstrual health services, a baby dying due to preventable disease. These moments are a sobering reminder that while…

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Botswana Achieves Gold Tier Status in Eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Botswana has achieved gold tier status in its efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. The country received this recognition during the plenary session of the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, awarded by the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2021, Botswana became the first country in the world to meet the criteria for silver tier status on the path to eliminating HIV transmission. Now, it is also the first to reach gold tier status, having met stringent targets—including reducing the annual rate of new…

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Equality Now Urges Stronger Child Protection Measures at ACERWC 45th Ordinary Session

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Maseru, Lesotho – International human rights organization Equality Now, has called for urgent and reinforced actions to safeguard children’s rights in Africa during the 45th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). Addressing the high-level gathering, Sally Ncube, Equality Now’s representative, emphasized the pressing need for legal reforms and stronger enforcement mechanisms to protect children from harmful practices, violence, and exploitation. The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare…

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New Study Finds High Prevalence of Neonatal Jaundice in Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A new study has revealed a high prevalence of neonatal jaundice in Zimbabwe, with nearly 46 percent of newborns at Westend Hospital in Harare diagnosed with the condition in 2021. The study, published in Social Medicine, highlights low birth weight, prematurity, blood group incompatibility, and maternal diabetes as the leading risk factors. Neonatal jaundice, characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes due to high bilirubin levels, is a major cause of newborn hospital admissions globally. If left untreated, it can lead to severe complications, including brain…

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Zim launches Pediatric Cancer Treatment Guidelines

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe launched its Childhood Cancer Treatment Guidelines on Friday, strengthening the country’s efforts to combat childhood cancers through early diagnosis and improved treatment. The launch, which coincided with International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) commemorations at Kidzcan’s Rainbow Village, comes at a time when children with cancer in Zimbabwe have only a 20 percent survival rate—well below the World Health Organization (WHO) 2030 target of 60 percent. Officiating at the event, Mr. Lee Nkala, Acting Director for the Non-Communicable Diseases Department, spoke on behalf of the Health and…

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Childhood Cancer International president hails KidzCan, ACCZ partnership

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Visiting Childhood Cancer International president Mr Rodney Wong on Wednesday commended the partnership between the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) and KidzCan noting it will have a great impact on the lives of children in early diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. At a time when the apostolic church is most of the time perceived to be against the seeking of medical services, ACCZ and KidzCan last week signed a memorandum of understanding for the sensitization of apostolic sect members on the importance of seeking cancer services for children.…

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