Author: Healthtimes

United States assistance to Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 national response now exceeds US$6 million

Healthtimes

THROUGH the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has committed US$3 million from the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 National Preparedness and Response Plan. HealthTimes Reporter This new donation brings to over US$6 million the total amount that the United States has committed to the fight against COVID-19 in Zimbabwe, while continuing to respond to the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. CDC will award the new funding in early May 2020 through existing CDC Zimbabwe implementing…

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Mandatory Rapid Testing For All Employees As Economy Partially Opens

Healthtimes

MINISTER of Health and Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo, during a media briefing yesterday, announced Government’s plans for a mandatory Covid-19 rapid testing for all employees in order to combat the spread of the viral disease. In order to test more people, Government has included mission and local authority health institutions to carry out Covid-19 testing. “Designated Government, mission hospitals and local authority institutions that conduct routine screening and medical examinations for workers will now also conduct COVID rapid testing,” said Dr Moyo. Dr Moyo said the decentralisation process has…

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#JUSTIN: ED Extends Lockdown By Another 14 Days…Relaxes Restrictions For Formal Sector

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE President, Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced a partial relaxation of the National Lockdown to level 2 starting Monday, May 4, 2020. By Michael Gwarisa He said the relaxation will be observed for the next 14 days but strict public requirements such as mandatory wearing of face masks, among other measures will be observed. Gyms, churches and other recreational services remain closed. The informal sector ie. Mshikashika, vending etc remain closed. More details to follow…

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COVID-19 Is For Those In Cities Says Buhera Villagers

Healthtimes

VILLAGERS in Buhera central have turned a deaf ear to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call for a 35 days national lockdown citing that the disease was not a poor man’s problem but that of the rich and urban dwellers. By Edson Mapani In Bhuhera President Mnanagwa announced a national lockdown which commenced on March 30, 2020 to curb the spread of the virus which has already claimed four lives and infected 32 people in Zimbabwe. However, villagers in Buhera Central Constituency are defying lockdown measures as they publicly gather imbibing traditional…

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Gvt Warns Unregistered Covid-19 Testing Facilities

Healthtimes

Government has warned unregistered health institutions testing for Covid-19 and operating unapproved isolation centres to stop the practice and follow laid down procedures in line with provisions of the Public Health Act.   Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Agnes Mahomva, said some private health institutions had already declared themselves Covid-19 testing and isolation centres without approval from the Ministry of Health.  She advised such institutions to follow the process of approval first. “The Ministry has learned and noticed that some private facilities that have…

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Zimbabwe Rated As one Of The World’s Top Global Food Crises In New UN Report

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE remains in the grip of severe food insecurity, with millions of people already requiring humanitarian assistance due to prolonged drought, climate-related shocks, economic deterioration and the situation set to worsen as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, according to the new Global Food Crisis Report Forecast (GFCRF). HealthTimes Correspondent The joint report, released by the European Union, FAO, OCHA, UNICEF, USAID and WFP anticipates a worsening food insecurity situation in 2020 with an estimated 4.3 million rural Zimbabweans, including children, are in need of urgent action. On top of environmental factors,…

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Protective Equipment For Village Health Workers

Healthtimes

HEALTH and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo says his ministry will be distributing personal protective equipment for village health workers for protection against the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) when screening and or monitoring patients with malaria. By Kudakwashe Pembere He said this as Zimbabwe commemorates World Malaria Day themed ‘Zero Malaria Begins With Me’. Malaria has similar signs and symptoms as COVID-19 hence Dr Moyo said Government does not want to take chances by leaving these health workers’ in harms way. In the current situation where the country is also…

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Sakunda Avails US$2.6 Mln Towards COVID-19 Fight… Opens Arundel Hospital To The Public Free Of Charge

Healthtimes

SAKUNDA Holdings has donated its US$2.6 million equipment and the Arundel Hospital to Government for use in the fight against COVID-19. HealthTimes Correspondent This comes as the  number of people contracting the disease is increasing. Sakunda handed the donation to President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House this Thursday in the presence of some members of the national COVID-19 taskforce. The company also revealed that it was going to pay the 55 medical personnel to man Arundel Hospital for the next six months. Sakunda recently spruced up the medical facility which…

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COVID-19 pandemic must not divert attention from Child TB

Healthtimes

IF resources are diverted away from child and adolescent tuberculosis (TB) programmes in order to fight COVID-19, the consequences for the estimated 400,000 children and adolescents in the African region needing TB and multidrug-resistant TB care each year could be devastating, warned the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) today. As the coronavirus pandemic makes its way into the African continent, there are concerns about its potential impact on the large number of children and adolescents living with TB infection or disease across the region. TB is…

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#COVID-19: WHO Donates More Equipment To Zim

Healthtimes

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) donated a consignment of equipment for Zimbabwe’s Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) response. By Kudakwashe Pembere The consignment consisted of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and a state of the art Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine. This equipment comes to augment WHO’s Testing Kits, PPEs and technical assistance they provided in this fight against COVID-19. With the PPE costing USD16 527, the PCR Machine fetched USD24 436 adding to a total of USD40 963. The equipment comes amid cries from the healthworkers who said they did not have…

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