National

Japan, EU in lukewarm response to Zimbabwe’s lobby to lift ivory ban trade

Published

4 years ago

May 26, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Diplomats from the European Union (EU), Sweden, and Japan say they attended the just ended regional conference on elephants only to engage with Zimbabwe’s conservation efforts and not to discuss the reopening of the ivory trade.

Zimbabwe organised the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) conference to influence African countries to push for the resumption of ivory trade ahead of crucial International Union for Conservation of Nature (CITES) meetings this year.

The conference held at Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve, the Hwange National Park, was meant to convince major ivory markets that the African countries desperately needed to offload their ivory stockpiles to fund conservation efforts.

Satoshi Tanaka, Japan’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, said his country had enough ivory stocks and would not be buying any in the immediate future even if the trade ban was lifted.

“The conservation of nature is very important for everyone, so I would like to know the situation of elephants and also (how) the discussion on ivory is going as it’s very important for everyone in the international community,” Tanaka said.

“Japan is serious about the protection of the environment, and we need to know how this discussion is going as conservation is very important to us.

“We still have the stockpile of ivory that we obtained in the past and we have some markets inside so for us, first we need to observe the r CITES regulations.”

Ahead of the conference, Zimbabwe justified its lobby for the re-opening of formal ivory markets arguing that countries such as Japan were ready to buy its stockpiles.

Envoys from the EU and Japan were given access to the country’s ivory stockpiles in an effort to enlist their support in pushing for the lifting of the CITES ban that has been in place since 1998.

Zimbabwe claims its ivory stockpile is worth US$600 million, but the valuation has been questioned by conservationists who say it is exaggerated.

The Japanese envoy’s sentiments were echoed by the EU head of delegation in Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen who said he was at the conference to understand the region’s challenges in protecting elephants.

“The questions around biodiversity in general are very important to us mankind and the planet is facing a serious extinction of species at an alarming rate,”Olkkonen said in an interview.

“What is happening to the planet is catastrophic and it’s comparable to climate change. So that’s the general context of why we are here.

“We are talking about the elephants as they are important and have raised a bit of controversy and there is a lot of discussions around the fate of how African elephants should be treated in the international context of CITES.

“I am here to have a better understanding of the Southern African and Zimbabwean context and their way of thinking about the issue of elephants.

“I think we need to understand the challenges and discuss together what could be the solutions.”

Sweden’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Asa Pehrson said her country had no position on calls to lift the global ban on ivory trade.

“On the issues of lifting the ban I would say that I have no position on that because that is not the main reason for me taking part at this conference, but of course we are aware of it and I am listening carefully and I take note, but I cannot have a position,” Pehrson said.

“We have three broad areas of cooperation that we are now exploring like biodiversity which is already an extension of corporation with the environment, climate change, sustainable resources and so on

“So we will be building on that and we will try to see how best we can help in biodiversity alongside democracy, human rights, rule of law and governance and my invitation here was to observe under these discussions.”

Zimbabwe, which has the second largest population of elephants in Africa after Botswana, says it must be allowed to sell its ivory stocks to fund conservation and prevent human-wildlife conflicts, which are worsening.

National

World AIDS Day: UN Chief says ending AIDS by 2030 “is within grasp”

Published

7 days ago

December 1, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY SONIA HLOPHE

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has marked World AIDS Day with a message urging world leaders to scale up investment, confront stigma and ensure that lifesaving HIV services reach everyone who needs them.

In his statement, Guterres said this year’s commemoration serves as a reminder that the world “has the power to transform lives and futures, and end the AIDS epidemic once and for all.”

He highlighted the major gains achieved over the past decade.

“The progress we have made is undeniable,” he said, noting that “since 2010, new infections have fallen by 40 per cent” while “AIDS-related deaths have declined by more than half.” Access to treatment, he added, “is better than ever before.”

But despite this global progress, the Secretary-General warned that the crisis is far from over.

“For many people around the world, the crisis continues,” he said. “Millions still lack access to HIV prevention and treatment services because of who they are, where they live or the stigma they endure.”

Guterres also raised concern over shrinking resources:

“Reduced resources and services are putting lives at risk and threatening hard-won gains.”

He said ending AIDS requires fully supporting communities, scaling up prevention and ensuring treatment for everyone.

“Ending AIDS means empowering communities, investing in prevention and expanding access to treatment for all people.”

He also called for innovation to be matched by real-world delivery:

“It means uniting innovation with action, and ensuring new tools like injectables reach more people in need.”

Above all, he stressed the need for a human-rights centred response so no one is excluded.

“At every step, it means grounding our work in human rights to ensure no one is left behind.”

With the 2030 global deadline approaching, the UN chief said success is still possible if momentum is sustained.

“Ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is within grasp. Let’s get the job done.”

National

Zimbabwe fast-tracks approval of long-acting HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir

Published

2 weeks ago

November 25, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Zimbabwe has taken a major step in the fight against HIV following the rapid approval of Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking long-acting injectable for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) authorised the drug in just 23 days, marking one of the fastest regulatory approvals in the country’s history.

The application, submitted by pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences in October, underwent an expedited review because of its public health importance. MCAZ says the fast-tracked process did not compromise scientific scrutiny, with the product subjected to a rigorous assessment of its safety, efficacy and quality.

Lenacapavir is designed for adults and adolescents weighing at least 35kg who are HIV-negative but at substantial risk of infection. Unlike traditional daily oral PrEP, the medicine is administered as a six-monthly injection, following an initiation phase that includes one injection and oral tablets on Days 1 and 2. Health authorities say this long-acting formulation could dramatically improve adherence and expand prevention options, particularly for communities where daily pill-taking is difficult.

MCAZ Director-General Richard T. Rukwata described the approval as a landmark moment in Zimbabwe’s HIV response.

“The rapid approval of Lenacapavir reflects MCAZ’s dedication to accelerating access to trusted, high-quality health products. This milestone brings new hope for HIV prevention and reinforces our commitment to safeguarding public health,” he said.

To fast-track the process, the Authority applied a regulatory reliance approach, drawing on scientific assessments from the World Health Organization’s Prequalification Programme (WHO PQ). This allowed evaluators to build on internationally recognised review processes while ensuring Zimbabwe’s own standards were met.

The introduction of Lenacapavir comes as Zimbabwe continues efforts to reduce new HIV infections, particularly among young people and key populations who face barriers to consistent PrEP use. Public health experts say the drug’s twice-yearly dosing could be a game changer in improving uptake and protection.

MCAZ says it remains committed to ensuring Zimbabweans have access to safe, effective and good-quality medical products, in line with its mandate under the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act.

National

Zimbabwe makes gains against TB

Published

2 weeks ago

November 21, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

The World Health Organization (WHO) data show that Zimbabwe continues to make measurable gains in its fight against tuberculosis (TB).

According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, Zimbabwe’s estimated TB incidence has declined to 203 per 100,000 population, representing a 3.8 % reduction from 2023. The report states that “TB incidence in Zimbabwe has fallen to 203 per 100 000, a 3.8 % reduction from 2023.”

On treatment outcomes, the country’s overall success rate for all forms of TB has improved to 91 %, up from 89 % in 2023. The report quotes: “Treatment success for all forms of TB has improved to 91 %, up from 89 % in 2023.”

For drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), progress has also been recorded: treatment success rose from 64 % for the 2021 cohort to 68 % for the 2022 cohort. As the report notes: “treatment success for drug-resistant TB increased from 64 % for the 2021 cohort to 68 % for the 2022 cohort.”

In the critical sphere of TB‐HIV co-infection, Zimbabwe saw a drop in the co‐infection rate to 49 %, down from 51 %. The report states: “TB/HIV co-infection rates have fallen to 49 %, down from 51 %.”

Zooming out, the 2025 global report shows that across the world TB is falling again, although not yet at the pace required to meet targets. Globally, incidence declined by almost 2 % between 2023 and 2024, and deaths fell around 3 %.

However, the report warns that progress is fragile. Funding shortfalls, health-system disruptions (especially during the COVID-19 era), and the ongoing challenge of drug-resistant TB threaten to erode gains. The WHO page reminds that the 2025 edition “provides a comprehensive … assessment of the TB epidemic … at global, regional and country levels.”

For example, although more people are being diagnosed and treated than in previous years, not enough are being reached with preventive interventions, and many countries are still far from the targets set under the End TB Strategy.