Cimas @80 Media Awards: $9,000 up for grabs to enhance health reporting in Zimbabwe

Ivan Zhakata

Herald Correspondent

Cimas Health Group has launched the Cimas @80 Media Awards with a total of US$9 000 in prize money to encourage journalists to dig deeper into the country’s health sector.

The awards unveiled in Harare on Friday will recognise excellence in four categories — healthcare transformation, health and wellness, medical innovation and public health awareness.

Winners in each category will receive US$1 500 while runners-up will walk away with US$750.

Cimas chief executive officer Mr Vuli Ndlovu said the initiative was designed to push journalists beyond surface-level reporting.

“Sometimes I wish the conversations were deeper. Let us understand the impact of the story on healthcare — to investment, to communities and even to the path we have walked,” he said.

Mr Ndlovu said while cash prizes would draw attention, the real prize lay in changing public narratives about health.

“We want as many stories out there. Sometimes, the prize is simply having been in the race,” he said.

The awards ceremony is set for November 20 in Bulawayo, with judging handled by veteran journalists, medical practitioners and representatives from the Zimbabwe union of Journalists. Entries close on October 31.

Marking its 80th anniversary this year, Cimas is deepening its long-standing relationship with the media.

The group has previously sponsored the National Journalism and Media Awards (NJAMA) as a gold package partner in health reporting.

This year’s standalone awards, however, aim to go further by rewarding reporting that is not only factual but also impactful, showing how journalism can influence healthcare policy, investment and community well-being.