Tag: ZIMBABWE

NSSA Partners Tshiamiso Trust to Support Ex-Mineworkers Affected by Silicosis and TB

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tshiamiso Trust to pave the way for the compensation of former mineworkers in South African mines who suffered permanent lung damage due to silicosis and those who contracted work-related tuberculosis (TB). The MoU formalises cooperation between the Government of Zimbabwe, through the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), and Tshiamiso Trust to ensure access to compensation for eligible former mineworkers and their dependents. Following a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, Baines Occupational Health Services was appointed in November…

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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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Red Cross Restores Dignity to Persons with Disabilities in Binga Through Accessible Toilets

Michael Gwarisa
Construction workers completing an accessible toilet for Gogo Mleya, a person with disabilities, in Saba village, Binga.

By Michael Gwarisa in Binga For more than a decade, Mrs. Esteri Simwaka from Siansundu Village in Binga has been helping her 13-year-old daughter, Bwime, relieve herself in the backyard or nearby fields. “It was easier when she was younger,” said a teary Mrs. Simwaka. “But now she’s grown and much heavier. I can’t lift her anymore. I place her in a bathing dish, drag her across uneven ground to the bush, lift her up so she can relieve herself, clean her, and then drag her back home. The sun…

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Zimbabwe and UNFPA Begin Consultations for 9th Country Programme (2027–2031)

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Government of Zimbabwe and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have commenced consultations to develop the 9th Country Programme of Cooperation, which will run from 2027 to 2031. The two-day Stakeholder Engagement Workshop, taking place in Harare from 6 to 7 October 2025, brings together senior government officials, civil society, academia, youth representatives, and development partners to collectively shape the country’s future priorities for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality, and population dynamics. According to the concept note, the workshop seeks to “collectively…

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Zimbabwe Faces Severe Shortage of Forensic Pathologists

Michael Gwarisa
Minister of Health Dr. Douglas Mombeshora shares a light moment with Dr. Ron Mhizha of the Eye Institute and Chrispen Dzingirai of Old Mutual Zimbabwe during the launch of free cataract eye clinics.

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is grappling with a critical shortage of forensic pathologists, a crisis that has forced families to transport bodies across provinces for post-mortem examinations and delayed justice in criminal cases. Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora told Parliament this week that until recently, the country had only one qualified forensic pathologist, making it nearly impossible to conduct timely examinations across the nation. Forensic post-mortems require specialised expertise beyond the training of general pathologists. Unfortunately, we only had one forensic pathologist in the country. This created…

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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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Navigating the Midlife Crisis: Understanding Its Impact on Mental Health and Strategies for Resilience

Healthtimes

By Method Moyo Tariro and Blessing (pseudonyms) have been married for over twenty years. From the outside, they appear settled with two grown children, a modest home in Kwekwe, and years of shared memories. However, inside their quiet house, a storm brews. As the Shona proverb says, “Chakafukidza dzimba matenga.” Tariro, now 47, feels invisible. Her days are filled with caregiving, church commitments, and the struggle of adjusting to a body she no longer recognizes. Blessing, 52, is restless—questioning his career, masculinity, and whether he has lived up to the…

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1 in 3 Zimbabwean Women Could Be Obese by 2030

Michael Gwarisa
An obese Zimbabwean woman standing outdoors, representing obesity trends in Zimbabwe. Data projects that 1 in 3 Zimbabwean women will be obese by 2030.

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is facing a rapidly escalating public health emergency as new projects indicate that 4.2 million adults will be overweight or obese by 2030 with women being the hardest hit group. An analysis of data from the 2025 World Obesity Atlas scoreboard shows that women are bearing the brunt of this epidemic, with their rates of obesity far surpassing those of men. The projections show a steady climb in high Body Mass Index (BMI) over the past two decades, a trend set to accelerate. By 2030, an…

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Door-to-Door Mobilisation Under SLL Brings Healthcare Closer to Children and Elderly in Gokwe

Michael Gwarisa
Gogo Bhunu, a sprightly woman in her early 90s, warmly welcomes a door-to-door health mobilisation team at her homestead in Bhunu Village, Gokwe North, as part of the Saving Lives and Livelihoods program bringing healthcare services closer to children and the elderly.

By Michael Gwarisa in Gokwe For years, healthcare in Gokwe North has been beyond the reach of many. The terrain is unforgiving, rocky, bumpy, and scorched by a relentless sun. Narrow footpaths snake through thorny bushes and jagged rocks, leading to scattered homesteads perched in places so remote you can’t help but wonder how anyone managed to settle there. Clinics are few and far between, with some as distant as 25 or even 30 kilometres away. In such an environment, seeking healthcare often means risking dehydration, exhaustion, or worse. It…

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WCOZ Hosts Indaba to Unpack Climate Change Management Bill

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCOZ) last week convened a high-level indaba in Harare to deliberate on the proposed Climate Change Management Bill, a piece of legislation that seeks to provide a comprehensive framework for Zimbabwe’s response to climate change. The gathering brought together civil society, legal experts, government stakeholders and grassroots representatives to scrutinise the bill with a particular focus on its gender implications. Speaking at the indaba, Caroline Mutimbanyoka said the coalition’s interest in the bill was rooted in the reality that women and girls…

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