Simbarashe Rusakaniko
Biographic Data
| ID | 341871 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Simbarashe Rusakaniko |
| GIVEN NAMES | Simbarashe |
| FAMILY NAME | Rusakaniko |
| SIGNATURE | RUSAKANIKO S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Zimbabwe |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3159-0205 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 25 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
The impact of US Government Stop Work Order on HIV epidemic trajectory in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is highly dependent on United States Government (USG) funding for the HIV Response, where 42% of the HIV expenditures in 2020 were financed by the USG and in 2023, PEPFAR invested more than $200 million to support HIV programmes. In late January 2025, the USG issued a “Stop Work Order,” suspending funding for international aid and development during a 90-day review period and this was expected to have a significant negative impact on the…
Barriers to and facilitators of linkage to care following hypertension and diabetes screening among health workers in Zimbabwe
The benefits of screening for any condition are only realised if individuals who screen positive link to care services. We investigated linkage to hypertension and diabetes care by healthcare workers accessing a comprehensive health check service. We also explored facilitators and barriers to linkage to care. Between July 2020 and June 2022, a health check with referral and follow-up was offered to healthcare workers (clients) in Zimbabwe. We aim…
Acceptability of a community health worker-led health literacy intervention on lifestyle modification among hypertensive and diabetes patients in the City of Harare, Zimbabwe
Working with community health workers is a vital strategy to improve health at a community level in low- and middle-income countries. Our study assessed the acceptability of a community health worker-led health literacy intervention on lifestyle modification among hypertensive and diabetes patients in the City of Harare, Zimbabwe. The intervention consisted of face-to-face individual educational sessions and support visits, delivered by trained c…
HIV incidence and prevalence projections for Zimbabwe
Introduction : Understanding how HIV epidemics are likely to behave in the future is key to informing HIV response strategies in low-income countries. Up-to-date HIV epidemiological estimates are important for policy decision- making, but surveillance data can be out of date. This study compared forecasts from HIV epidemiological models. Methods : Five independent modelling groups (EMOD-HIV, Goals, HIV Synthesis, Optima and PopART-IBM) calibrated…
Evaluation of a comprehensive health check offered to frontline health workers in Zimbabwe
Health workers are essential for a functioning healthcare system, and their own health is often not addressed. During the COVID-19 pandemic health workers were at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection whilst coping with increased healthcare demand. Here we report the development, implementation, and uptake of an integrated health check combining SARS-CoV-2 testing with screening for other communicable and non-communicable diseases for health workers …
Prevalence of chronic conditions and multimorbidity among healthcare workers in Zimbabwe
The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in southern Africa is expanding and is superimposed on high HIV prevalence. Healthcare workers are a scarce resource; yet are vital to health systems. There are very limited studies on the burden of chronic conditions among healthcare workers in Africa, and none exploring multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions). We describe the epidemiology of infectious (HIV) and non-communicable chronic conditions, …
Comparing fears about paediatric HIV disclosure to the lived experiences of parents and guardians
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to: (1) follow parents and guardians through the process of paediatric HIV disclosure to understand how often pre-disclosure worries are realised; and (2) estimate the effects of disclosure on child, caregiver, and family well-being. DESIGN: We conducted a 12-month prospective cohort study in Zimbabwe with 123 primary caregivers of children ages 9 to 15 years who were HIV positive but did not know their serostatus at baseline.…
Exploring Covid-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in Zimbabwe
With COVID-19 no longer categorized as a public health emergency of international concern, vaccination strategies and priority groups for vaccination have evolved. Africa Centres for Diseases Prevention and Control proposed the ‘100-100-70%’ strategy which aims to vaccinate all healthcare workers, all vulnerable groups, and 70% of the general population. Understanding whether healthcare workers were reached during previous vaccination campaigns a…
Should disability-inclusive health be a priority in low-income countries? A case-study from Zimbabwe
The National Disability Policy was launched in Zimbabwe in June 2021 and includes a range of commitments for the provision of disability-inclusive health services and rehabilitation. Fulfilment of these pledges is important, as at least 7% of the population have disabilities, and people with disabilities face greater challenges accessing healthcare services and experience worse health outcomes. However, it will require financial investment which …
A path toward disability-inclusive health in Zimbabwe Part 1
Strategies to promote disability inclusion in healthcare include meaningfully engaging people with disabilities, investing in organisations of people with disabilities, protecting funding for disability inclusion, collecting and analysing disability-disaggregated data and strengthening a twin-track approach to health service provision
A path toward disability-inclusive health in Zimbabwe Part 2
The immediate health and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities in Zimbabwe were severe. Government departments should include people with disabilities in all communications and activities related to the pandemic through a twin-track approach, meaning inclusion in mainstream activities and targeting with specific interventions where necessary
Caregiver self-efficacy to talk about sex predicts conversations about HIV transmission risk with perinatally infected young people in Zimbabwe
Given advances in care and treatment for HIV, perinatally infected young people are surviving into adolescence. These young people are making decisions about engaging in sexual relationships and it is critical to ensure they have the information they need to engage responsibly in sexual activity, particularly in an era where adherence to treatment could make their virus undetectable. The main objective of this analysis was to examine whether an H…
Association of Schistosoma haematobium infection morbidity and severity on co-infections in pre-school age children living in a rural endemic area in Zimbabwe
This study revealed an association between schistosomiasis and the comorbidity conditions of URTI, dermatophytosis, malaria and FUO in PSAC living in a schistosomiasis endemic area. A possible detrimental effect where coinfection led to severe sequels of the comorbidity conditions was demonstrated. Appropriate clinical diagnostic methods are required to identify associated infectious diseases and initiate early treatment of schistosomiasis and co…
Strengthening national health research systems in the WHO African Region – progress towards universal health coverage
BACKGROUND: Health challenges and health systems set-ups differ, warranting contextualised healthcare interventions to move towards universal health coverage. As such, there is emphasis on generation of contextualized evidence to solve local challenges. However, weak research capacity and inadequate resources remain an impendiment to quality research in the African region. WHO African Region (WHO AFR) facilitated the adoption of a regional strate…
Effect of a Primary Care–Based Psychological Intervention on Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders in Zimbabwe
Importance: Depression and anxiety are common mental disorders globally but are rarely recognized or treated in low-income settings. Task-shifting of mental health care to lay health workers (LHWs) might decrease the treatment gap. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally adapted psychological intervention for common mental disorders delivered by LHWs in primary care. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cluster randomized clinical …
Scaling up interventions for depression in sub-Saharan Africa
Key requirements for success included early buy-in from key stakeholders, extensive consultation at each point of the scale-up journey, financial support both locally and externally, and a coherent sustainability plan endorsed by both government and private sectors
Who benefits from public health financing in Zimbabwe? Towards universal health coverage
Zimbabwe's public health financing model is mostly hospital-based. Financing generally follows the bigger and higher-level hospitals at the expense of smaller, lower-level ones. While this has tended to perpetuate inequalities, the pattern of healthcare services utilisation and benefits on different levels of care and across different socioeconomic groups remains unclear. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the utilisation of health…
Influence of school support on early marriage experiences and health services utilization among young orphaned women in Zimbabwe
School support programs reduce school dropout, early marriage, and early pregnancy for a majority of young orphaned women. We used a mixed-methods approach to examine why these programs are less effective for a significant minority by exploring their influence on marriage and health services utilization. Participants were from a randomized controlled trial testing school support as HIV prevention. Half as many intervention as control participants…
Marital Age Disparity Among Orphaned Young Women and Their Husbands
I thought if I marry the prophet I would not die
This study examines the association between religious affiliation and reasons for marriage, perceived church attitudes, and reproductive health-seeking behaviors, including HIV testing, among young women in eastern rural Zimbabwe. The sample comprised women (N = 35) who had married by 2012 while participating in a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of school support on HIV-related risk. The RCT sample was identified in 2…
HIV infection and related risk behaviors
Research is limited on whether providing school support to female adolescent orphans mitigates their HIV risk disadvantage compared to other female adolescents. This paper examines 2011 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) HIV-related biomarker and behavior data for orphaned and nonorphaned rural adolescent females to compare findings from a similar sample participating in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing school support as HIV…
Educational Outcomes for Orphan Girls in Rural Zimbabwe
Educational achievement has important implications for the health and well-being of young women in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors assessed the effects of providing school support on educational outcomes of orphan girls in rural Zimbabwe. Data were from a randomized controlled trial offering the intervention group comprehensive schooling support and controls no treatment initially and then fees only. Results indicated comprehensive support reduce…
Use of HIV and HSV-2 Biomarkers in Sub-Saharan Adolescent Prevention Research
Self-report of sexual behavior among adolescents is notoriously inconsistent, yet such measures are commonly used as outcomes for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention intervention trials. There has been a growing interest in the use of HIV and other sexually transmitted disease biomarkers as more valid measures of intervention impact in high HIV prevalence areas, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. We examine the challenges, benefits, an…
Supporting Adolescent Orphan Girls to Stay in School as HIV Risk Prevention
Objectives. Using a randomized controlled trial in rural eastern Zimbabwe, we tested whether comprehensive support to keep orphan adolescent girls in school could reduce HIV risk. Methods. All orphan girls in grade 6 in 25 primary schools were invited to participate in the study in fall 2007 (n = 329). Primary schools were randomized to condition. All primary schools received a universal daily feeding program; intervention participants received f…
The incidence of HIV among women recruited during late pregnancy and followed up for six years after childbirth in Zimbabwe
The incidence of HIV was high during the first nine months after childbirth. Time of seroconversion, age and educational level of seroconverter are important factors that must be considered when designing HIV intervention strategies
Supporting Adolescent Orphan Girls to Stay in School as HIV Risk Prevention
Objectives. Using a randomized controlled trial in rural eastern Zimbabwe, we tested whether comprehensive support to keep orphan adolescent girls in school could reduce HIV risk. Methods. All orphan girls in grade 6 in 25 primary schools were invited to participate in the study in fall 2007 (n = 329). Primary schools were randomized to condition. All primary schools received a universal daily feeding program; intervention participants received f…
I thought if I marry the prophet I would not die
This study examines the association between religious affiliation and reasons for marriage, perceived church attitudes, and reproductive health-seeking behaviors, including HIV testing, among young women in eastern rural Zimbabwe. The sample comprised women (N = 35) who had married by 2012 while participating in a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of school support on HIV-related risk. The RCT sample was identified in 2…
The incidence of HIV among women recruited during late pregnancy and followed up for six years after childbirth in Zimbabwe
The incidence of HIV was high during the first nine months after childbirth. Time of seroconversion, age and educational level of seroconverter are important factors that must be considered when designing HIV intervention strategies
Supporting Adolescent Orphan Girls to Stay in School as HIV Risk Prevention
Objectives. Using a randomized controlled trial in rural eastern Zimbabwe, we tested whether comprehensive support to keep orphan adolescent girls in school could reduce HIV risk. Methods. All orphan girls in grade 6 in 25 primary schools were invited to participate in the study in fall 2007 (n = 329). Primary schools were randomized to condition. All primary schools received a universal daily feeding program; intervention participants received f…
Use of HIV and HSV-2 Biomarkers in Sub-Saharan Adolescent Prevention Research
Self-report of sexual behavior among adolescents is notoriously inconsistent, yet such measures are commonly used as outcomes for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention intervention trials. There has been a growing interest in the use of HIV and other sexually transmitted disease biomarkers as more valid measures of intervention impact in high HIV prevalence areas, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. We examine the challenges, benefits, an…
HIV infection and related risk behaviors
Research is limited on whether providing school support to female adolescent orphans mitigates their HIV risk disadvantage compared to other female adolescents. This paper examines 2011 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) HIV-related biomarker and behavior data for orphaned and nonorphaned rural adolescent females to compare findings from a similar sample participating in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing school support as HIV…
Educational Outcomes for Orphan Girls in Rural Zimbabwe
Educational achievement has important implications for the health and well-being of young women in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors assessed the effects of providing school support on educational outcomes of orphan girls in rural Zimbabwe. Data were from a randomized controlled trial offering the intervention group comprehensive schooling support and controls no treatment initially and then fees only. Results indicated comprehensive support reduce…
Effect of a Primary Care–Based Psychological Intervention on Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders in Zimbabwe
Importance: Depression and anxiety are common mental disorders globally but are rarely recognized or treated in low-income settings. Task-shifting of mental health care to lay health workers (LHWs) might decrease the treatment gap. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally adapted psychological intervention for common mental disorders delivered by LHWs in primary care. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cluster randomized clinical …
Scaling up interventions for depression in sub-Saharan Africa
Key requirements for success included early buy-in from key stakeholders, extensive consultation at each point of the scale-up journey, financial support both locally and externally, and a coherent sustainability plan endorsed by both government and private sectors
Who benefits from public health financing in Zimbabwe? Towards universal health coverage
Zimbabwe's public health financing model is mostly hospital-based. Financing generally follows the bigger and higher-level hospitals at the expense of smaller, lower-level ones. While this has tended to perpetuate inequalities, the pattern of healthcare services utilisation and benefits on different levels of care and across different socioeconomic groups remains unclear. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the utilisation of health…
Influence of school support on early marriage experiences and health services utilization among young orphaned women in Zimbabwe
School support programs reduce school dropout, early marriage, and early pregnancy for a majority of young orphaned women. We used a mixed-methods approach to examine why these programs are less effective for a significant minority by exploring their influence on marriage and health services utilization. Participants were from a randomized controlled trial testing school support as HIV prevention. Half as many intervention as control participants…
Marital Age Disparity Among Orphaned Young Women and Their Husbands
I thought if I marry the prophet I would not die
This study examines the association between religious affiliation and reasons for marriage, perceived church attitudes, and reproductive health-seeking behaviors, including HIV testing, among young women in eastern rural Zimbabwe. The sample comprised women (N = 35) who had married by 2012 while participating in a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of school support on HIV-related risk. The RCT sample was identified in 2…
Strengthening national health research systems in the WHO African Region – progress towards universal health coverage
BACKGROUND: Health challenges and health systems set-ups differ, warranting contextualised healthcare interventions to move towards universal health coverage. As such, there is emphasis on generation of contextualized evidence to solve local challenges. However, weak research capacity and inadequate resources remain an impendiment to quality research in the African region. WHO African Region (WHO AFR) facilitated the adoption of a regional strate…
Caregiver self-efficacy to talk about sex predicts conversations about HIV transmission risk with perinatally infected young people in Zimbabwe
Given advances in care and treatment for HIV, perinatally infected young people are surviving into adolescence. These young people are making decisions about engaging in sexual relationships and it is critical to ensure they have the information they need to engage responsibly in sexual activity, particularly in an era where adherence to treatment could make their virus undetectable. The main objective of this analysis was to examine whether an H…
Association of Schistosoma haematobium infection morbidity and severity on co-infections in pre-school age children living in a rural endemic area in Zimbabwe
This study revealed an association between schistosomiasis and the comorbidity conditions of URTI, dermatophytosis, malaria and FUO in PSAC living in a schistosomiasis endemic area. A possible detrimental effect where coinfection led to severe sequels of the comorbidity conditions was demonstrated. Appropriate clinical diagnostic methods are required to identify associated infectious diseases and initiate early treatment of schistosomiasis and co…
Should disability-inclusive health be a priority in low-income countries? A case-study from Zimbabwe
The National Disability Policy was launched in Zimbabwe in June 2021 and includes a range of commitments for the provision of disability-inclusive health services and rehabilitation. Fulfilment of these pledges is important, as at least 7% of the population have disabilities, and people with disabilities face greater challenges accessing healthcare services and experience worse health outcomes. However, it will require financial investment which …
A path toward disability-inclusive health in Zimbabwe Part 1
Strategies to promote disability inclusion in healthcare include meaningfully engaging people with disabilities, investing in organisations of people with disabilities, protecting funding for disability inclusion, collecting and analysing disability-disaggregated data and strengthening a twin-track approach to health service provision
A path toward disability-inclusive health in Zimbabwe Part 2
The immediate health and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities in Zimbabwe were severe. Government departments should include people with disabilities in all communications and activities related to the pandemic through a twin-track approach, meaning inclusion in mainstream activities and targeting with specific interventions where necessary
Comparing fears about paediatric HIV disclosure to the lived experiences of parents and guardians
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to: (1) follow parents and guardians through the process of paediatric HIV disclosure to understand how often pre-disclosure worries are realised; and (2) estimate the effects of disclosure on child, caregiver, and family well-being. DESIGN: We conducted a 12-month prospective cohort study in Zimbabwe with 123 primary caregivers of children ages 9 to 15 years who were HIV positive but did not know their serostatus at baseline.…
Exploring Covid-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in Zimbabwe
With COVID-19 no longer categorized as a public health emergency of international concern, vaccination strategies and priority groups for vaccination have evolved. Africa Centres for Diseases Prevention and Control proposed the ‘100-100-70%’ strategy which aims to vaccinate all healthcare workers, all vulnerable groups, and 70% of the general population. Understanding whether healthcare workers were reached during previous vaccination campaigns a…
Evaluation of a comprehensive health check offered to frontline health workers in Zimbabwe
Health workers are essential for a functioning healthcare system, and their own health is often not addressed. During the COVID-19 pandemic health workers were at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection whilst coping with increased healthcare demand. Here we report the development, implementation, and uptake of an integrated health check combining SARS-CoV-2 testing with screening for other communicable and non-communicable diseases for health workers …
Prevalence of chronic conditions and multimorbidity among healthcare workers in Zimbabwe
The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in southern Africa is expanding and is superimposed on high HIV prevalence. Healthcare workers are a scarce resource; yet are vital to health systems. There are very limited studies on the burden of chronic conditions among healthcare workers in Africa, and none exploring multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions). We describe the epidemiology of infectious (HIV) and non-communicable chronic conditions, …
Barriers to and facilitators of linkage to care following hypertension and diabetes screening among health workers in Zimbabwe
The benefits of screening for any condition are only realised if individuals who screen positive link to care services. We investigated linkage to hypertension and diabetes care by healthcare workers accessing a comprehensive health check service. We also explored facilitators and barriers to linkage to care. Between July 2020 and June 2022, a health check with referral and follow-up was offered to healthcare workers (clients) in Zimbabwe. We aim…
Acceptability of a community health worker-led health literacy intervention on lifestyle modification among hypertensive and diabetes patients in the City of Harare, Zimbabwe
Working with community health workers is a vital strategy to improve health at a community level in low- and middle-income countries. Our study assessed the acceptability of a community health worker-led health literacy intervention on lifestyle modification among hypertensive and diabetes patients in the City of Harare, Zimbabwe. The intervention consisted of face-to-face individual educational sessions and support visits, delivered by trained c…
HIV incidence and prevalence projections for Zimbabwe
Introduction : Understanding how HIV epidemics are likely to behave in the future is key to informing HIV response strategies in low-income countries. Up-to-date HIV epidemiological estimates are important for policy decision- making, but surveillance data can be out of date. This study compared forecasts from HIV epidemiological models. Methods : Five independent modelling groups (EMOD-HIV, Goals, HIV Synthesis, Optima and PopART-IBM) calibrated…
The impact of US Government Stop Work Order on HIV epidemic trajectory in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is highly dependent on United States Government (USG) funding for the HIV Response, where 42% of the HIV expenditures in 2020 were financed by the USG and in 2023, PEPFAR invested more than $200 million to support HIV programmes. In late January 2025, the USG issued a “Stop Work Order,” suspending funding for international aid and development during a 90-day review period and this was expected to have a significant negative impact on the…
Medicine (23 works) · Environmental health (13 works) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (10 works) · Health care (10 works) · Nursing (10 works) · Population (10 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Psychiatry (8 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (7 works) · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare (7 works)