Category: Health News

When Santa Brings Joy at Christmas, Injiva Bring Infections and Unintended Pregnancies: The Hidden HIV Threat Facing Mat South Girls

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Mat South In most parts of Matabeleland South, the festive season does not only bring tinsel and holiday cheer. It brings something far more complicated. Bottle store owners and shopkeepers prepare for football tournaments that turn their businesses into instant profit zones, while a quieter and more vulnerable anticipation grows among young girls in the villages. They know the Injiva are coming. These are men returning from South Africa or Botswana with cash in hand and the confidence to spend it. For many girls, the homecoming…

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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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New HIV Prevention Injection Expected in January, Minister Mombeshora says

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Following the expeditious registration of the long acting HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir, Zimbabwe is expecting the new injectable to arrive in the country in January next year. Addressing journalists on Friday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora said preparations for the roll out have been completed. “Our roll-out plan, I think everything is now in order. Some training has been done for the medical staff and sites have been identified for the roll-out. But we do not have many doses. I think we are expecting…

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Community Health Equity Fund Launched in Hopely as Nation Prepares for Insurance Scheme

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere and Edward Makuzva At a time when out of pocket health spending is high for many urban residents in Harare, the City of Harare on Wednesday officially launched the Community Health Equity Fund (CHEF) in Hopely. The launch at Tariro Clinic comes six years after President Emmerson Mnangagwa opened the facility. Officiating at the event, Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, in a speech read on his behalf by Policy and Planning Director Dr. Stephen Banda, said the CHEF is part of preparations for the…

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An HIV Wave Hitting Only One Side of the Market: Women in Mat South Are Bearing the Brunt

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Mat South In Matabeleland South, the burden of new HIV infections falls almost exclusively on women. The numbers are more than statistics; they depict a crisis where mothers and daughters are diagnosed one after the other, while men’s rates lag behind. This imbalance is shrinking families, disrupting livelihoods, and leaving communities to pick up the pieces. Data from the 2022 National Housing and Population Census shows that Matabeleland South has an estimated population of 760,000 people. Of these, the National AIDS Council (NAC) estimates that 93,000…

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New youth risks emerging in digital age, SAYWHAT warns

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere As Zimbabwe marks the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, with young women and adolescent girls increasingly facing online harassment, Government has pledged to protect young people from digital harm. This was said by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Solomon Mhlanga, while officiating at the 15th anniversary of the SAYWHAT National Students Conference on Tuesday. “The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training firmly believes in digital dignity and ensuring safe and equitable access to technology as…

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ActionAid Zimbabwe Warns of Rising Digital Violence as 16 Days of Activism Begin

Kuda Pembere

By Staff Reporter ActionAid Zimbabwe has raised alarm over a surge in online violence targeting women and girls, calling on Government, regulators, and technology companies to strengthen protections as the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence begin. The annual campaign runs from 25 November to 10 December. This year’s theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls”, according to ActionAid Zimbabwe calls attention to the growing dangers women face online and the urgent need for collective action. ActionAid in a statement said forms of digital violence…

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South Africa, Malawi Among African Countries Recording High drug-resistant gonorrhoea cases

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a renewed warning about the rapid rise of drug-resistant gonorrhoea, calling it a growing global threat that demands urgent action. The alert follows the release of new findings from the Enhanced Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (EGASP), which has tracked resistance patterns since 2015 and now reports sharp increases in resistance to key antibiotics. The data release coincides with World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 2025, underscoring the global significance of the threat. According to the latest EGASP report, resistance to the…

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Zimbabwe Strengthens National HIV Response Ahead of World AIDS Day Commemorations

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  Zimbabwe has launched preparations for this year’s World AIDS Day commemorations, marking the beginning of a national week dedicated to reflection, mobilization and renewed commitment to ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030. The commemorations, set for Umzingwane in Matabeleland South, come at a time when the country is intensifying efforts to integrate HIV programmes with broader public health priorities, including childhood cancer care. Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, UNAIDS representative Jerry Manyika said the country…

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15th SAYWHAT Students Conference Introduces Parliament Researchers

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The 15th edition of the Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) Students Conference roared to life on Monday with new additions, namely the presence of Parliament researchers and students from universities, teacher training colleges, and agricultural training institutions. The opening day featured a Research Indaba where parliamentary portfolio committee researchers shared insights and educated students on how Parliament works. Research papers presented by students covered topics such as GBV among males, the nexus between Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), disability and climate,…

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