Author: Healthtimes

300 Zim women get fistula treatment

Healthtimes

By Kudakwashe Pembere Over 300 Zimbabwean women have received fistula repair surgery since inception in 2009, a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA Zimbabwe) official said. Addressing media yesterday, UNFPA Zimbabwe Deputy Country Resident Mr Yu Yu said there is one centre offering this surgery. “In Zimbabwe UNFPA is leading the Campaign to End Obstetric Fistula through a collaborative effort with partners, Women and Health Alliance International (WAHA) and the Ministry of Health and Child Care. This journey began in 2009 with support to the Ministry to conduct an obstetric fistula…

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Malnutrition Almost Killed My 2 year Old Baby…Woman Narrates Ordeal

Healthtimes

“At that time, she was 1 year 7 months old, I had already introduced her to solid foods, I would say I started feeding her porridge  a day after she was born not knowing it would affect my child…” By Michael Gwarisa recently in Shamva “Mwana anofanira kudya tuporridge tu tete tete, kana tumahewu netumvura kuti asimbe mudumbu, ukaona mwana achiramba kuyamwa anenge achichema zita!” Loosely translated “A new born baby must and should be fed porridge, or traditional non-alcoholic brew or water, if you see your child crying all…

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Zim Musing Upon 8 Antenatal visits for pregnant women

Healthtimes

By Kuda Pembere AT the borderline is Zimbabwe trying to consider adopting latest World Health Organisation’s antenatal care guidelines requiring eight antenatal contacts instead of four that the country is currently doing well with. In November last year, WHO recommended that a minimum of eight contacts for antenatal care can reduce perinatal deaths by up to 8 per 1000 births when compared to a minimum of four visits. Sharing findings in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) SWOP report on Wednesday (today), the organisation’s local Assistant Ms Abbigail Msemburi said…

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Selfish MPs want pay rise, ignore critical HIV funding

Healthtimes

By Daniel Phiri LEGISLATORS have called on government to increase their salary perks to match that of ministers and the judiciary, at a time when the country is failing to adequately fund the response to HIV/Aids. Owing to alleged financial constraints, Zimbabwe which is spending US$3, 6 billion from its US$4 billion budget on salaries, has literally surrendered its health funding to development partners and donors. About 85 percent of national HIV/Aids response is catered for by development partners and donors, while Zimbabwe is accounting for a mere 15 percent…

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The Power Of Women Support Groups in Scaling Up Nutrition

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa recently in Shamva ZIMBABWE witnessed a surge in child malnutrition cases in the years 2015/16 owing to the Elnino induced drought which left millions of Zimbabweans from most parts of the country in need of food aid. According to information gathered by Save the Children Zimbabwe a Non- Governmental Organisation which deals with issues affecting children and their rights, cases of Severe Malnutrition were recorded over the past two years as a result of the droughts and extreme cases were documented in Binga, Chegutu, Kariba, Shamva and…

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AHFoZ decries price hikes in pharmacies

Healthtimes

By HealthTimes Correspondent The Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) has expressed concern over the huge increase in the price of drugs at most pharmacies saying this said could only worsen the suffering of patients. In a statement, AHFoZ, which represents the country’s medical aid societies, said over the past three weeks most pharmacies had increased the price of drugs by between 30 percent and 70 percent. This had resulted in huge shortfalls for medical aid society members. Some pharmacies, AHFoZ said, were rejecting medical aid cards and insisting…

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Zim commences National Radiotherapy Guidelines

Healthtimes

By Kudakwashe Pembere Zimbabwe’s radiotherapy experts have engaged the International Atomic Energy Agency to hit the ground running on coming up with national clinical radiotherapy guidelines as part of the National Strategy on Cancer. Three IAEA experts from South Africa are in the country working with local radiotherapy experts to formulate standardized and internationally accepted guidelines on treating cancer patients using radiotherapy. Health and Childcare ministry’s Permanent Secretary Brigadier General (Retired) Dr. Gerald Gwinji told journalists on the sidelines of the launch of National Radiotherapy Guidelines that these guidelines are meant…

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Antiretroviral drug called TLE400 saves Zim $ 3, 6 million

Healthtimes

By Kudakwashe Pembere A first line regimen for HIV/AIDS treatment in Zimbabwe  called TLE 400 saved the country $3, 6 million this year alone. The treatment proving to be a ‘wonder’ drug miraculously reducing side effects along with a significant spend was launched yesterday in Harare. The drug funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was made by one of the world’s leading global pharmaceutical companies called Mylan. On March 10, 2017, Mylan received tentative approval from the U.S. FDA under PEPFAR for its New Drug Application for the…

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Shot in the arm for Heather Chimoga Orphan Care

Healthtimes

By Kudakwashe Pembere in Murehwa A Murehwa organisation that assists under-privileged children received a $150 000 grant from United States government through the United States Africa Development foundation. Heather Chimhoga Orphan Care (HOCC) is a Zimbabwean child welfare institution which  started with just six children scaling up to 784. Speaking at the grant signing ceremony in Murehwa yesterday, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ambassador Harry Thomas said the funding shows USA’s continued commitment to help Zimbabweans in developing projects that improve living conditions that improve living conditions in their communities. “I…

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UNAIDS Calls To Quicken Action To End AIDS

Healthtimes

The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, in collaboration with UNAIDS, brought together six heads of state or government to accelerate action and get countries on the Fast-Track to end AIDS. World leaders joined around 500 partners from government, the private sector and civil society on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to reinvigorate political leadership around HIV. The Fast-Track approach is saving more and more lives. In 2016, 19.5 million people—more than half the 36.7 million people living with HIV—were accessing life-saving treatment. The number of people who…

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