Category: Health News

Obstetric Fistula: The Silent Struggle of Zimbabwean Women

Michael Gwarisa
https://staging11.atomistic.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Sandra-Mugowo.jpg

By Alfa Bothwell Gwatidzo In my community, when a baby is born, we say “makorokoto, mapona”—“congratulations, you survived.” These words, while celebratory, echo a painful reality for many women in Zimbabwe. Childbirth remains perilous, especially in underserved communities where access to timely medical care is often a luxury. Among the most devastating consequences is obstetric fistula—a preventable and treatable condition that continues to trap women in cycles of pain, isolation, and stigma. Obstetric fistula occurs when prolonged, obstructed labour creates a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or…

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One Stitch at a Time: Zimbabwe’s Fight to End Obstetric Fistula

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Bikita, Mashoko In rural and underserved parts of Zimbabwe, a silent but devastating condition continues to rob women of their dignity, health, and hope: obstetric fistula. Often caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without timely medical intervention, this childbirth injury leaves women incontinent and frequently ostracised by their communities. But today, a growing movement of awareness, surgical intervention, and community support is changing the tide. One stitch at a time, medical teams and advocates are not only restoring bodies but also rebuilding lives. Twenty-nine-year-old Sandra Mugowo from…

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

Michael Gwarisa

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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Zimbabwe Launches Revised Infection Prevention and Control Policy

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere The Ministry of Health and Child Care has launched an updated Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Policy and Strategic Plan aimed at managing and preventing hospital-acquired infections. Zimbabwe established the National Infection Prevention and Control Committee (NIPCC) and, in 2014, developed its first National IPC Policy, Strategic Plan, and Monitoring and Evaluation framework. On Tuesday, speaking at the closeout meeting for the first phase of the Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Partner Trust Fund (AMR MPTF), the Ministry’s Director of Nursing Services, Mrs. Nyaradzai Chiwara, representing Health Minister Dr. Douglas…

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Zimbabwe Health Minister Denies Blocking Nurses From Leaving Country

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care Minister, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, has dismissed allegations that Government is preventing more than 4,000 nurses from practising abroad by withholding certificates of good standing (CGS). Reports had suggested the Health Ministry was refusing to release the certificates in a bid to curb the mass exodus of healthcare workers. However, Mombeshora told journalists last Friday that CGS matters fall under the purview of the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe (NCZ), not his ministry. “I think what you are referring to are certificates of good…

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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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Zimbabwe Among Selected Nations for AMR Multi-Partner Trust (MPTF) Fund Phase Two

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is one of three countries in the World Health Organization Africa Region (WHO Afro) eligible to apply for the second phase of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), following the successful completion of phase one. The fund aims to catalyze and accelerate One Health approaches to AMR in low- and middle-income countries, with a key focus on supporting the implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs). During the official close-out of phase one, Dr. Lawrance Dinginya, Director of Veterinary Technical Services, speaking on behalf of…

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

Michael Gwarisa

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

Michael Gwarisa

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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Swedish Embassy gives PSZ US$5 million grant

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere At a time when access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services remains a challenge for many adolescent girls and young women in Zimbabwe, the Swedish Embassy in Harare has awarded a US$5 million grant to Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) to help improve access. Speaking during the grant signing ceremony, Sweden’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, H.E. Per Lingarde, said the support aims to enhance the livelihoods of Zimbabwean women and girls. “For Sweden, the Swedish Government and the Swedish Embassy in Harare, sexual and reproductive health and rights…

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