Category: Opinion

Surviving the Festive Season Without January Regrets

Michael Gwarisa

By Abigail Mudokwani The festive season is marked by a collective, almost scripted, narrative of joy, family reunions, and celebration. But for many, this season is not a straightforward story of happiness; it is a complex, double-edged sword! From a psychologist’s point of view, the festive season brings up many different feelings. Yes, there can be joy, but for many people, it’s also a time of real stress, anxiety, and loneliness. The problem often starts when we compare our own holiday experience to the picture of a “perfect” celebration we…

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Businesses Fail when they Fail to Support Women Interests

Healthtimes

By Professor Myriam Sidibe Amid predictions of Africa’s growth and the potential of its youth, one inconvenient statistic tells a different story. Africa has the highest rate of femicide worldwide [2.9 victims per 100,000 in 2023] – around 22,000 women and girls are killed every year by an intimate partner or family member. I spend a lot of time tackling this inexcusable epidemic through the organisations, brands and companies I work with. This week I am at the United Nations General Assembly in New York trying to keep this overlooked…

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CWGH Urges Transparency and Equity in Zimbabwe’s 2025 Budget Allocation

Michael Gwarisa

By Itai Rusike The 2025 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review, presented by the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion on 31 July 2025, comes at a time when Zimbabwe is recovering from a tough economic year. A projected economic rebound to 6.0% in 2025, from 1.7% in 2024, largely attributed to a strong agricultural season, is commendable. However, the country remains largely informal, with 76.1% of businesses operating outside the formal economy. This high informality weakens domestic resource mobilisation, constraining sustainable development. Public debt remains a critical challenge.…

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Prosecuting HIV Under a Repealed Law Will Take Zimbabwe 20 Years Back Into the Dark Ages

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In May 2022, Zimbabwe took a bold and progressive step by repealing Section 79 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which criminalised the deliberate transmission of HIV. This repeal was not merely a legislative change, it was a milestone in Zimbabwe’s HIV response, signaling a shift toward science, public health, and human rights. It reflected years of research and advocacy that consistently showed criminalising HIV does not prevent transmission but rather perpetuates stigma, gender inequality, and legal uncertainty. Yet today, a complex and concerning development…

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Op-ed: Adolescents and young people today, leaders tomorrow: commemorating the Day of the African Child

Michael Gwarisa

Authored by: Mr Henry Damisoni, UNAIDS Representative, Ms Etona Ekole, UNICEF Representative,  Mrs Miranda Tabifor, UNFPA Representative, Dr. Desta Tiruneh, WHO Representative In a local health clinic in Zimbabwe, Patience, a nurse and midwife, counsels and supports women and girls on a daily basis – some who are trying to prevent a pregnancy, those who are soon to become first-time mothers, and others who are living with HIV and seek to take care of themselves and their partners.  This is a new generation of young people and adolescents, who yearn for a…

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Addressing Zimbabwe’s Health System Demise and Brain Drain

Healthtimes

By Itai Rusike Zimbabwe’s health sector has been on a downward trajectory for years, facing numerous systemic challenges that have significantly eroded the quality of service delivery. Among the most pressing issues is the brain drain, which has seen a mass exodus of health professionals seeking better opportunities abroad. This trend has left the nation’s public health facilities understaffed and struggling to cope with the increasing demand for healthcare services. The health system in Zimbabwe is characterized by poor working conditions, inadequate remuneration, and a lack of essential medical supplies.…

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Health Professions Authority Zimbabwe: Guardians of Healthcare Standards and Patient Rights

Healthtimes

The Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe (HPA) plays a crucial role in safeguarding the nation’s health by regulating private and public health institutions.  Beyond its regulatory function, HPA is also instrumental in promoting and protecting patient rights through its oversight of the Patients Charter of Zimbabwe. This article unpacks HPA’s mandate and delves into the key tenets of the Patients Charter, empowering citizens to understand their rights within the healthcare system. HPA’s Mandate Health Facility Registration Health Professions Authority registers and regulates private and public health institutions to ensure set…

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Obstetric Violence: A sinister form of GBV against pregnant children

Healthtimes

By Chipo Tsitsi Mlambo On November 26, 2024, as I prepared to address the issue of obstetric violence against pregnant children, a significant case emerged. Sixteen-year-old Tariro* (not her real name) went into labor and arrived at the home of one of our Purple Door Advocates, who promptly escorted her to the local clinic. A few hours later, I received a call from our community advocate informing me that Tariro had been advised her baby was too large for a normal delivery and required a C-section at the hospital. To…

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The investment case for diabetes care for rural Zimbabwean women

Healthtimes

By Dr Nyasha Manyeruke The Zimbabwean healthcare system is currently battling a strategic funding gap towards the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes (World Health Organisation, 2020). Any increase in national budgetary allocation towards addressing this growing public health threat, must take into consideration the existent intersectional endemicity of communicable diseases, El-nino drought, current economic contraction and historic marginalisation of women (UN Women, 2022). In this article, I discuss the evidence supporting the call to increase investment towards a diabetes primary health intervention focused on reproductive age women…

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Global Gag Rule Returns: A Threat to Women and Girls’ Sexual and Reproductive Health

Healthtimes

By Edinah Masiyiwa On the 20th of January, the day that Donald Trump was sworn in as the president of the United States of America, I was really moved by the title of an article on the Safe Abortion Action Fund site which read, “We Wish US Politics Didn’t Have a Big Impact on Global Abortion Access, But it Does.” I agree. Since 1984, every U.S. Republican president has introduced the “global gag rule” which restricts funding for organisations which support or provide abortion. The Global Gag Rule, also known…

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