Tag: UNICEF

Zambia launches malaria vaccine to protect over half a million children

Michael Gwarisa

Lusaka – The Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Ministry of Health, today officially launched the malaria vaccine (R21/Matrix-M) as part of its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), marking a historic milestone in the country’s fight against malaria. Over 500 000 children aged 6‒8 months will be vaccinated in the months following the launch. Malaria remains one of Zambia’s leading causes of illness and death, particularly among children under five years of age. In 2023 alone, malaria incidence among this age group rose to 523 cases per 1000 population, according to the…

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Zimbabwe’s Nutrition Advocacy and Parliamentary Engagement Project Gains Traction

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to enhance nutrition advocacy and strengthen policymaker engagement on child nutrition and development, Zimbabwe has launched a network of nutrition champions, an initiative that is now gaining momentum and driving greater collaboration across sectors. The programme is being implemented by the Zimbabwe Civil Society Organisations Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance (ZCSOSUNA), with financial and technical support from UNICEF, in collaboration with key government ministries and departments. The launch followed a recent report by the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC), which revealed that stunting remains a…

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Zimstat, UNICEF Begin Seventh Round of MICS Survey

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), in partnership with UNICEF, has begun data collection for the seventh round of the Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS7). The MICS survey plays a vital role in gathering national data on a wide range of socio-economic indicators concerning children, women, and men. The last survey was conducted in 2019. “The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is pleased to announce the commencement of the 2025 Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Round 7…

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Stunting Remains a Critical Challenge for Zimbabwe’s Children, Report Reveals

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  Despite improvements in several food security and nutrition indicators, stunting rates among children under five in Zimbabwe remain alarmingly high, posing a significant threat to the nation’s human capital and long-term development, according to the recently released 2025 Rural Livelihoods Assessment Report. The report, produced by the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC), indicates that 23.8% of children aged 6-59 months are stunted. Stunting, defined as impaired growth and development due to poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation, has lifelong consequences for health, cognitive ability, and economic productivity.…

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UNICEF Raises Alarm Over Surge in Vaccine Hesitancy Among Zimbabwe’s Urban Elite

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa While vaccine resistance has traditionally been associated with impoverished communities and apostolic sects, Zimbabwe is now experiencing a concerning rise in vaccine hesitancy among affluent urban populations. Recent data from the WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC), 2024, shows that approximately 34,000 children in Zimbabwe go without basic vaccinations each year. Speaking at a Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians symposium in Harare, Dr. Lucia Takundwa Gumbo, a Health Specialist with UNICEF Zimbabwe, highlighted the shifting landscape of vaccine objectors in the country. I believe there…

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Zimbabwe Fails to Immunise 34,000 Children Every Year

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is falling behind in its efforts to fully immunise every child, with approximately 34,000 children going without basic vaccinations each year. This alarming statistic, contained in the latest World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) report released on July 15, 2025, highlights the persistent vulnerability of Zimbabwe’s youngest citizens, many of whom remain completely unprotected from life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases. The WUENIC report revealed that across Southern Africa, the number of “zero-dose” children, those who have not received even the first dose…

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Africa’s Cholera Crisis Demands Continental Action

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Africa is currently battling five major infectious disease outbreaks: Mpox, Measles, Dengue, Lassa Fever, and Cholera. Among these, Cholera has emerged as the deadliest, quietly eclipsing the rest in scale and lethality. Yet, despite its heavy toll, it remains under-prioritized. In 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), a bold step triggered by its rapid transmission across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone, and Uganda. That response was swift and strategic,…

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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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Prioritizing Zimbabwe’s Children future in an uncertain time for Global Aid

Michael Gwarisa

By Etona Ekole One of the greatest joys of my work is meeting Zimbabwean children—bright, resilient, and full of dreams. There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing how a school meal, a safe classroom, or a kind health worker can transform a child’s life. However, with every success story, I see the urgent needs that remain—a child too small for their age due to stunting, a girl missing school due to lack of menstrual health services, a baby dying due to preventable disease. These moments are a sobering reminder that while…

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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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