Author: Healthtimes

Urgent Need To Build Public Health Sector Capacity & Resilience Ahead Of Further Waves Of COVID-19

Healthtimes

THE month of January was a clear testimony of healthcare workers’ lamentations over the years. Public health sectors doctors and nurses have gone on industrial action several times over the past years, crying not only over poor remuneration but poor conditions of service. By Dr Grant Murewanhema They have often cited poor equipment, lack of essential medicines and gross shortage of sundries as barriers to provision of quality healthcare. This has seen an exodus of highly qualified healthcare personnel from the public health sector into countries countries and regions. Our…

Read More

Zimbabwe Among Five High-Burden TB Countries To Receive Patient Friendly TB Preventive Therapy

Healthtimes

A new fixed-dose combination (FDC) of “3HP”, a short-course tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment (TPT) combining two drugs, rifapentine and isoniazid, is starting to be rolled out in five TB high burden countries in Africa. This will reduce the number of pills that people who need the treatment have to take every week from nine to three. Enough treatments for up to 3 million patients are expected to be made available for eligible countries this year. Staff Reporter As the result of an agreement concluded by Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access…

Read More

Dimples Are A Deformity, Did You Know That?

Healthtimes

When you see a person with dimples smile, the first reaction is, “Awwww so cute. So pretty. So adorable.” Am i right? Let’s first define what dimples are; Dimples are visible indentations of the skin, caused by underlying flesh, which form on some people’s cheeks, – especially when they smile. Some also have it on their chin, thighs, and back.   Dimples are one of the cutest, most beautiful features a person can have, especially on the face. The people who have them are constantly complimented on them and many…

Read More

WizEar Sets up ENT Unit At Sally Mugabe Pediatric Ward

Healthtimes

WIZEAR Trust last week handed over a Pediatric  Eear, Nose and Throat (ENT) theatre project to Sally Mugabe Hospital, formally known as Harare Hospital in a move that set to address unnecessary delays and inconveniences to patients requiring ENT surgery. HealthTimes The setting up of the unit comes after countless meetings and discussions which started from as back as 2017 between WizEar and Hospital authorities. In his welcome speech Dr Christopher Pasi said, “The journey has not been easy. At some point the hospital (SMCH) changed CEOs and each one…

Read More

The Importance Of Maintaining A Healthy Diet During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Healthtimes

THE Covid-19 pandemic has caused a lot of undesirable changes in the day to day living of people worldwide. The greatest concern of many is to avoid catching the virus and at least recover if infected. Everybody is afraid of either dying and leaving their loved ones or losing their loved ones to Covid-19, indeed the pandemic has come with lots of insecurities, fears and depression. By Ms Nomagugu Ndlovu and Dr Tecklah Usai The fears associated with the Covid-19 pandemic can negatively impact on people’s eating habits. Reaching for…

Read More

#TalkingCOVIDWithDr Grant: Covid-19 And Well-Being

Healthtimes
Dr Grant Murewanhema

THE month of January has been particularly challenging for Zimbabwe as far as the COVID-19 pandemic is concerned. We reported the highest number of cases as well as the highest number of fatalities since March 2020 when the pandemic hit the country. News of high-profile people including cabinet ministers, church bishops, medical professional and many other succumbing to the disease sent waves of fear and desperation across the population. By Dr Grant Murewanhema Zimbabwe is a peculiar country where access to quality medical care is a luxury to many. We…

Read More

Johnson & Johnson Announces Single-Shot Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Met Primary Endpoints in Interim Analysis of its Phase 3 ENSEMBLE Trial

Healthtimes

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) (the Company) today announced topline efficacy and safety data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE clinical trial, demonstrating that the investigational single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in development at its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies met all primary and key secondary endpoints. The topline safety and efficacy data are based on 43,783 participants accruing 468 symptomatic cases of COVID-19. The Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine candidate in protecting moderate to severe COVID-19, with co-primary endpoints of 14 days…

Read More

Seven things to know about COVID-19 variants in Africa

Healthtimes

New COVID-19 variants have emerged in Africa as the continent records anew peak in infections. While virus mutations are not unusual, those that are more infectious are worrisome.Professor Francisca Mutapi, Professor in Global Health Infection and Immunity, University of Edinburgh,explains the implications of SARS-CoV-2 variants and what African countries can do to respond. Why do viruses mutate, and should we be worried about SARS-CoV-2 variants? Viruses mutate as they replicate. Replication requires that the virus’s genetic information is copied. But this copying is not accurate. It produces mistakes such as…

Read More

New COVID-19 Variants Fuelling Africa’s Second Wave

Healthtimes

COVID-19 cases and deaths are surging in Africa as new, more contagious variants of the virus spread to additional countries. Staff Reporter Over 175 000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 6200 deaths were reported in Africa in the last week while infections rose by 50% on the continent between 29 December 2020 and 25 January 2021 when compared with the previous four weeks. In the past week, there has been a small dip in cases in South Africa, but 22 countries continue to see their case numbers surge. Deaths…

Read More