Author: Healthtimes

SAfAIDS Unveils Social Contracting Framework for Effective HIV Response

Healthtimes

By Ntokozo Gudu in Mutare SAfAIDS and Zimbabwe Community Health Intervention Research ( ZCHIRe) convened a capacity strengthening dialogue for stakeholders to effectively disseminate and implement the Social Contracting guidelines under the banner of the United for Protection Coalition, in Mutare recently. The dialogue was targeting the National AIDS Council as the key institution for decision making on social contracting, bringing together Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on how to effectively input into the existing guidelines. The conversation highlighted the need to increase domestic financial resources and expand  revenue streams to…

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Amid Zimbabwe’s Mass Exodus, Meet the Doctors and Nurses Who Stayed Behind

Healthtimes

By Gamuchirai Masiyiwa, Global Press Zimbabwe HARARE, ZIMBABWE — At five months pregnant with her second child, Vimbai started bleeding. She suspected a miscarriage and rushed to a public clinic for help. The attending midwife didn’t examine her, says Vimbai, who chose to use her middle name for fear of stigma. “The only thing they did was [give] me cotton wool.” To Vimbai’s shock, the midwife wrote “attempted abortion” on her consultation card and referred her to the nearest public hospital about 20 kilometers away (nearly 12.5 miles). But Vimbai…

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The Church’s Role In Addressing Mental Health Challenges Amongst Believers

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By Chaplain Simbarashe Chenjerai The world is facing a plethora of challenges such wars, famines, unemployment, droughts, cyclones among other ills. This has resulted in a number of public health challenges including mental health related woes. Over the years, there has been an increase in the incidence of drug and substance abuse, depression, anxiety among other mental health challenges. It is against this background that this article seeks to explore the role of the Church in addressing the growing mental health scourge. Christians and believers are not immune to mental…

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The Need For Youth-Friendly Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health Services

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By Olindah Tariro Chademana According to the United Nations, youths are individuals aged between 15 and 24 years. Youth-friendly services, as defined by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), are health services that respect the rights of young people and take their diverse sexual and reproductive lives into account. The World Health Organisation (WHO) supports this definition and adds that youth-friendly health services should be trusted and catered specifically to young people, with the principles of accessibility, acceptability, equity, appropriateness, and effectiveness in mind. It is crucial that health and…

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Hope on the Horizon As New TB Vaccine Trials Kick Off

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Hundred years later after the first Tuberculosis Vaccine was developed, a new TB vaccine is on the horizon. By Mandy Collins Imagine a world where TB doesn’t steal millions of lives each year. That dream might be inching closer, thanks to a groundbreaking vaccine trial kicking off in South Africa. Towards the end of March 2024, the first doses of potentially the first new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in a century were administered at a clinical trial site in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking a crucial step in the fight against this…

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#BREAKING: Health Ministry Appoints Dr Kavenga, Madzikwa To Substantive Roles

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter The Ministry of Health and Child Care has made two key appointments to the Pharmaceutical as well as Tuberculosis Control divisions. The two recent appointees are Dr Fungai Kavenga who has been promoted to the position of Deputy Director TB and Prevention Control, and Mr Newman Madzikwa who has been appointed substantive Director Pharmacy Services. Dr Kavenga is a medical doctor and Public Health specialist with over 10 years in TB and HIV programing. He has worked in the Private sector, Civil Society Organisations and Public Sectors…

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Making Waves with Adolescent Girls and Young Women In HIV and AIDS Programing

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By Young Female Leaders in the HIV HIV remains a significant public health threat. Without addressing the social determinants, the status quo persists. Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in the Sub-Saharan region, including Zimbabwe, still face limited leadership opportunities in the HIV response. The 2023 World AIDS Day theme serves as a reminder that communities must lead for interventions to be sustainable. It’s time to shift the perspective on AGYW—from mere service users to capable service providers. According to the Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026, community-led organizations, especially those led…

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AHFoZ Conference on Health slated for September

Healthtimes

The Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) will host its Annual “All Stakeholders Conference on Health”,  from 4-7 September 2024, at the Elephant Hills Resort in Victoria Falls. This prestigious event will bring together medical aid societies, healthcare professionals, policymakers, suppliers, medical aid member representatives, and all stakeholders from across the country and beyond, to discuss and explore strategies for improving healthcare outcomes. Under the theme “Zooming in on our Healthcare Outcomes: Making the main thing the main thing,” the conference aims to highlight the importance of focusing on…

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UNICEF Zim appeals for US$84.9 million for El-Nino response

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter With Zimbabwe enduring an El Nino induced drought which has left children and women vulnerable to water and food shortages, UNICEF Zimbabwe is urgently appealing for about US$85 million for an emergency response to assist these vulnerable groups of the population. The response is for the provision of interventions for 866 000 children. “UNICEF is urgently appealing for US$ 84.9 million to fund its emergency response aimed at assisting children and women affected by the El Nino crisis in Zimbabwe. This funding will provide life-saving interventions to…

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The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe

Healthtimes

By Phillip Aruna Zimbabwe is grappling with the second-biggest outbreak of cholera in its history, with cases rapidly spreading across the country. It started on 12 February 2023, and to date, more than 600 people have died from cholera, and over 35,000 have been infected. To prevent people from continuously falling sick and to save lives, Zimbabwe has to invest in its water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. Bacteria living in water causes cholera, a potentially deadly disease. Access to clean water, proper sanitation infrastructure, and hygiene measures reduce the…

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