MCAZ Public Relations and Communications Manager Davison Kaiyo (pics by Kudakwashe Pembere)
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has engaged content creators and social media influencers to promote responsible advertising of medicines and health products, saying digital platforms have become a key source of health information for many Zimbabweans.
Speaking during the Content Creators Regulatory Engagement held in partnership with the Content Creators Association of Zimbabwe (COCAZ) this Wednesday (July 15, 2026), MCAZ Public Relations and Communications Manager Davison Kaiyo, said content creators have an important role to play in protecting public health.
Kaiyo said while social media has transformed the way people access health information, it has also increased the risk of misleading or unlawful promotion of medicines.
“Today marks an important moment in the evolution of public health communication in Zimbabwe. The digital landscape has fundamentally changed the way citizens receive health information, make healthcare decisions and engage with medicines and medical products,” said Kaiyo.
He said the Authority recognises that content creators are trusted voices whose influence can shape health decisions.
“This engagement was conceived not as a punitive exercise, but as a collaborative one, aimed at strengthening understanding, compliance and partnership in safeguarding public health. This engagement exists to close that gap.”
The engagement follows recent enforcement operations by MCAZ, including the uncovering of an illegal medicine manufacturing operation in Zimre Park where substandard and falsified medical products were allegedly being produced and distributed.
Kaiyo said the Authority had also observed cases where some social media influencers were advertising and endorsing medicines without complying with Zimbabwe’s medicines advertising regulations.
He stressed that a single misleading social media post could have serious consequences.
“A single unregulated post promoting a substandard or falsified medicine can reach more Zimbabweans in an hour than a public health warning reaches in a week. That is the responsibility this room carries,” he said.
Kaiyo said the training would equip content creators with knowledge on the legal framework governing medicines advertising, prohibited advertisements and products that require strict regulatory control.
He urged influencers to use their platforms responsibly.
“Content creators are not bystanders in public health. You are now among the most trusted voices Zimbabweans turn to before they turn to a doctor, a pharmacist or a regulator. That trust is an asset and unchecked, it can also be a vulnerability,” he said.
Kaiyo said MCAZ was not seeking to restrict creativity but to build partnerships that protect the public from harmful and misleading medicine promotions.
“Our target is not to shut down content. Our target is to shut out substandard and falsified medicines from the timelines of Zimbabweans and we cannot do that without you,” he emphasised.
He encouraged content creators to engage with regulators and ensure that their content complies with medicines advertising regulations, reiterating that responsible digital communication can help safeguard the health of Zimbabweans.
Several content creators said the engagement had helped them better understand the legal requirements for advertising medicines and health products.
They said that most of them rely on information from companies when promoting products, but this training has shown them the huge responsibility they have to verify whether the products and advertisements comply with the law.
They added that the knowledge will help them create responsible content while protecting their audiences.
