Category: Health News

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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HPA Issues Warning Over Surge in Illegal Rehabilitation Centres

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter At a time when drug and substance abuse alongside other mental health issues are on the rise in Zimbabwe, the Health Professions Authority Zimbabwe (HPAZ) has warned the public about the mushrooming of illegal medical rehabilitation centres operating across the country, calling the trend a serious threat to public health and safety. HPAZ secretary general Clotilda Chimbwana in a statement, said they are gravely concerned over the proliferation of unregistered facilities offering services such as substance abuse treatment, mental health rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy—often without the…

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Zimbos Abantu Unveils Mobile Clinics to Serve Marginalized Communities in Harare

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere Zimbos Abantu, a social enterprise dedicated to delivering medical services to underserved areas in Harare, has launched a fleet of mobile clinics to be deployed across the city. Staffed by nurses, nursing assistants, and doctors, the mobile clinics will provide essential health screenings, including checks for blood pressure, diabetes, and HIV, among other services. This initiative comes at a critical time, as central hospitals are increasingly overwhelmed by patients presenting with advanced stages of disease due to delayed care. Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health…

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CWGH Urges Government to Prioritise Health Workforce and Primary Care on Workers’ Day

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating International Workers’ Day, the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has called on the government to urgently address the deteriorating state of the health sector, particularly the plight of health workers and the country’s neglected primary health care (PHC) system. In a statement released to mark Workers’ Day 2025, CWGH Executive Director Mr. Itai Rusike expressed solidarity with Zimbabwean workers across all sectors, including those in the informal economy, while calling for bold reforms in the health…

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Budget line to operationalize Public Health Emergency Operation Centres on cards

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is working on establishing a dedicated budget line for the operationalization of the country’s Public Health Emergency Operation Centres (PHEOCs), amid dwindling external financial resources both globally and regionally. Speaking to journalists after officiating the ongoing Public Health Emergency Management Executive-Level Training, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, said steps are underway to introduce a legal instrument to formalize this budget line. Zimbabwe remains committed to the Lusaka Call to Action and the operationalization of public health emergency operation centres. We are…

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Multimorbidity in Zimbabwe: A Wake-Up Call for Health System Reform

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A landmark ethnographic study has raised urgent questions about Zimbabwe’s capacity to manage rising rates of multimorbidity, a growing health challenge defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic conditions in a single individual. Conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, the study explores how this issue intersects with systemic gaps in healthcare delivery, funding, policy, and frontline services. Published in PLOS Global Public Health, the study involved more than 130 participants, including patients living with multiple chronic conditions, healthcare…

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Linda Masarira Leads Petition Urging Mnangagwa to Declare State of Emergency for Zimbabwe’s Public Healthcare

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to rescue Zimbabwe’s public healthcare system from imminent collapse and prevent unnecessary deaths caused by a failing infrastructure, opposition leader Linda Masarira has launched a global petition urging President Emmerson Mnangagwa to declare the healthcare crisis a National Disaster. The petition calls for urgent allocation of resources to equip healthcare facilities and improve the working and living conditions of healthcare workers. To Sign The Petition, Click Here The petition, titled “Fix Zimbabwe’s Healthcare Crisis — Save Lives Now!”, has already been signed by more…

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Mbare Residents Refuse Fumigation Teams Entry Over Bed Bug Fears

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter The City of Harare has raised concerns following reports that some Mbare residents are refusing entry to municipal teams dispatched to fumigate their homes in an ongoing campaign to eradicate bed bugs. Although no official explanation has been provided for the resistance, social media posts suggest that some residents believe the fumigation exercise may be making the bed bugs more resistant to chemicals, rather than killing them. In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the City of Harare said: We have noted with concern reports…

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Single Injection Appears to Prevent Virtually All Allergic Reactions

Michael Gwarisa

We could be nearing a cure for those nasty spring allergies — and even allergic reactions altogether. A decades-old asthma medication called omalizumab, which is sold as Xolair, has shown that it can successfully treat seasonal allergies in preliminary clinical trials. Administered as a single injection, it represents a type of treatment using lab-made proteins known as monoclonal antibodies, which can cut off your body’s allergic response at its source. So whether it’s pollen or peanuts bothering you, it’s got you covered. The biggest advantage of antibody-based therapeutics is that they offer the…

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Zim Youths Join Global Call for Urgent Action on NCDs and Mental Health

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Zimbabwean youth leaders on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have joined their global peers in calling for immediate, bold action to tackle NCDs and mental health challenges, following the launch of the Kigali Youth Declaration at the Global NCD Alliance Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda. More than 60 youth representatives from over 40 countries, including delegates from Zimbabwe, co-created the Declaration, which demands stronger policies, greater investment in youth health, and the meaningful inclusion of young people in decision-making processes concerning NCDs and mental health. NCDs, including poor mental…

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