Harare, Zimbabwe · Research trust est. 1999

Zimbabwean research, from township clinics to WHO guidelines.

CeSHHAR has one aim: health and wellbeing for all, in Africa and beyond. For 27 years we have run HIV prevention with the communities most at risk, studied sexual and reproductive health, and measured what a heating climate does to mothers and newborns.

Explore our work See the evidence
Photo: community meeting at a CeSHHAR-supported clinic · ceshhar.org ↓ Scroll
10provinces✦ 140implementation sites✦ 927community health cadres✦ 12,540PrEP initiations in one year✦ 6.3Mcondoms distributed✦ 27years of research✦

Who we are

We are a Zimbabwean research trust, globally leading and locally driven, generating the evidence that shapes health policy and programming across Africa.

Founded in 1999 as the Regai Dzive Shiri Project, CeSHHAR has grown into one of the region's foremost centres for sexual health and HIV/AIDS research. It was registered as a Trust in 2012 and as a Private Voluntary Organisation in 2014.

Our work is guided by five values: integrity, innovation, inclusivity, excellence and collaboration.

1999Founded as the Regai Dzive Shiri Project
2012Registered as a Trust
2014Registered as a Private Voluntary Organisation
TodayActive in all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe

Our work

HIV. Reproductive health. A heating climate.

Three departments, each pairing frontline delivery with published research. Key Populations is the largest by delivery scale, so it leads here.

Key Populations

Supporting HIV epidemic control with the communities at greatest risk: female sex workers, young women selling sex and their partners. 927 community cadres work across 140 sites in every province.

97% of newly identified positives initiated on treatment Explore the department

Sexual & Reproductive Health and MNCH

Research on self-care, HIV self-testing, family planning, cervical cancer prevention and adolescent health. This work has informed national and international guidelines.

Peer-led self-testing lifted uptake by half Explore the department

Climate, Environment & Health

Understanding what rising heat means for mothers, newborns and health workers, through the HE²AT, HAPI, HIGH Horizons and CARBOMICA programmes backed by NIH, Wellcome and the EU.

Host of the Climate & Health Africa Conference 2024 Explore the department

Research that moves guidelines

When peers deliver HIV self-tests, uptake jumps by half. That evidence is now shaping how the world tests.
In a CeSHHAR-led trial, peer delivery of HIV self-testing reached 30% uptake against 20% through clinic and pharmacy channels. It is one of many findings from teams led by researchers such as Prof Euphemia Sibanda and Dr Webster Mavhu that feed directly into national and WHO guidance.
30%uptake, peer delivery
20%uptake, clinic route
180+peer-reviewed papers, ED

What guides us

Integrity Innovation Inclusivity Excellence Collaboration

From the field

Latest from the three departments

All updates
Climate & health

Climate and Health Africa Conference brings the region to Harare

Hosted with the Ministries of Health and of Environment, the conference connected researchers and policymakers on heat, health systems and adaptation.

 Key populations

The Safety Network: sex worker-led groups take on stigma in Makoni

Ten self-help groups with 72 members are organising against stigma and discrimination, with CeSHHAR's support.

 Research

HIGH Horizons: protecting pregnant women and health workers from heat

With European Commission backing, teams are co-developing adaptation and mitigation interventions for maternity care in a warming climate.

Funded & supported by

National Institutes of Health Wellcome Trust European Commission Ministry of Health & Child Care Ministry of Environment, Climate & Wildlife

Work with us

Bring us a research question.

CeSHHAR works with funders, ministries and delivery partners across the region. We have spent 27 years answering hard questions about health: in all 10 provinces, alongside 927 community health workers, and in the pages of national and WHO guidance. Write to us about a study, a programme or a collaboration.

Get in touch Careers at CeSHHAR