Category: Health News

Women Who Remove Ribs For Cosmetic Purposes Have a High Risk Of Lung Malfunction

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In pursuit of the figure 8 or hourglass shape, women, especially social media influencers across the world, are increasingly undergoing procedures to remove the floating ribs, also known as the 11th and 12th ribs. The trend is widely discussed online and is often linked to dramatic overnight transformations. In Zimbabwe, although nothing has been proven, names such as Madam Boss and Luminitsa have previously circulated on social media debates, with some users speculating that certain influencers may have experimented with extreme body modification trends. These conversations highlight…

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Exclusive: Finance Minister Promises Major Health Budget Increase in 2026 Fiscal Plan

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere On November 27, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube will unveil the 2026 National Budget, promising a sizeable increase in funding for health services, HealthTimes has learned. After years of missing the Abuja Declaration target of 15 percent, the Treasury chief, after a Post Cabinet Media Briefing stated there will be a “quantum” increase. “Yes, look, the health sector budget will go up every year, the quantum will go up for sure, but as a percentage of the overall budget, we will try to stick to the Abuja…

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High Demand Pushes America to Increase Lenacapavir Supply as Eswatini Gets First Shipment

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Kingdom of Eswatini has received its first shipment of the lifesaving HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir, a few months after becoming one of the few  African countries earmarked for the rollout to take delivery. The twice-a-year injectable drug will be introduced under the America First Global Health Strategy, which guides the United States’ global health programming across the continent. Launched in September, the America First Global Health Strategy aims to shift the United States’ global health efforts toward strengthening African health systems and building market-driven partnerships. Under…

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Young Zimbabwean Selected as United Nations Young Leader

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter The United Nations has selected 26-year-old Tanatswa Amanda Chikura as a Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The announcement was made on United Nations Day on 24 October, which marks the date when the United Nations officially came into being. Tanatswa, who is a Hughes Hall PhD candidate, is also the Founder and Director of the Ndinewe Foundation, a mental health organisation in Zimbabwe. In an article published by Hughes Hall University, Tanatswa said: “Young people are everywhere and sometimes it takes a fellow youth…

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The Right to Know: Why Access to Tobacco Harm Reduction Information Is a Matter of Human Rights

Healthtimes

By HealthTimes When forty-seven-year-old Idai Moyo from Harare finally managed to quit smoking after two decades, it wasn’t because she suddenly found the willpower that had eluded her for years. It was because she discovered something she hadn’t known existed — a smoke-free nicotine alternative that allowed her to move away from cigarettes gradually, without withdrawal or shame. No one told me,” she said. “If I’d known earlier, I would have stopped long ago.” Her words capture a moral dilemma at the heart of global tobacco control: why are millions…

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Zimbabwe Records Major Gains in Fight Against TB, Global Report Shows

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Data from the 2025 Global Tuberculosis Report shows that Zimbabwe has made steady progress towards ending TB as a public health threat. According to the report, Zimbabwe’s TB incidence declined to 203 per 100,000, a 3.8 percent reduction from 2023 among other milestones. Commenting on the 2025 findings, Dr Fungayi Kavenga, the Ministry of Health and Child Care Director for TB services, welcomed the gains but warned that the battle to end the disease was still ongoing. Zimbabwe is making steady progress towards ending TB. The Global…

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NBSZ Targets 7 800 Units for the 2025 Festive Season

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has launched its Festive Season Blood Collection Campaign, urging Zimbabweans to donate blood in large numbers as demand for the life-saving resource traditionally increases during the holidays. The festive period is also associated with a rise in road traffic accidents, which places additional pressure on the national blood supply. Speaking during the launch, NBSZ Chief Executive Officer Lucy Marowa said the organisation decided to begin this year’s campaign earlier to prevent shortages. Okay, we normally see a 10 to 15% roughly…

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Govt Explores Hybrid Nursing Training Funding Model

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere In a move aimed at widening access to nursing training, Government is planning a hybrid funding model that cuts back on the number of state-sponsored students while making room for self-paying applicants, HealthTimes has learned. Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Hon. Sleiman Kwidini revealed to this publication that the Ministry is working on restructuring the financing model for nursing education, similar to arrangements already used in the Ministry of Education. Speaking in Parliament earlier on Tuesday, Hon. Kwidini had noted that concerns around nursing recruitment were…

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ZRP Intercepts Truck Smuggling Pharmaceutical Products Into Zimbabwe

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) say they intecepted a tanker truck yesterday at the 336 kilometre peg along Harare-Chirundu Road and arrested the driver, Elisha Nemaungwe (48) in connection with smuggling pharmaceutical products. The arrest led to the recovery of a contraband of tablets and injections, which include, 158 X50 X 10 Combo Pain tablets, 225 X 10 X 10 C4 tablets, 70 x 20 mls Lidocaine injections and 5 X 100 Ampoules Diclofenac injections.

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Health Ministry enforces 75% Local Quota in Nursing Schools

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Following concerns from Parliamentarians that many students were failing to secure places in nursing schools, a top Health Ministry official says a quota system has been introduced. Under the system, 75 percent of recruited students must come from the district or province where the training school is located. This policy is part of the decentralization of nurse training in Zimbabwe, which began last year. In an interview with HealthTimes, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. Sleiman Kwidini, said implementation of the quota system started…

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