Author: Kuda Pembere

African First Ladies join hands in the fight against Infertility and Stigma

Kuda Pembere

African First Ladies continue to wage their war against stigmatisation of women battling infertility yearning for societal change while initiating discussions on how to integrate infertility treatment into the public healthcare systems. By Kudakwashe Pembere Namibia’s First Lady Mrs. Monica Geingos at the 9th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary Conference said they are witnessing a high number of women being rejected by their partners due to infertility issues thus resorting to alcohol abuse. “We had to intervene on psychosocial issues like substance abuse, but also refer them to psychological treatment…

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2000 Zimbabweans Receive Acupuncture Treatment From Chinese Traditional Medicines Clinic In Harare

Kuda Pembere

The Zimbabwe China Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture Centre has treated over 2000 patients using acupuncture since January 2022. By Kuda Pembere Acupuncture is a system of complementary medicine in which stainless steel needles are inserted in the skin at specific points along what are considered to be lines of energy (meridians or acupoints), used in the treatment of various physical and mental conditions. At present more than 2000 patients have benefited from the Chinese traditional medicine and acupuncture and moxibustion treatment services since January 2022. Over 6000 acupuncture…

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MCAZ in Medicine Safety Awareness Drive

Kuda Pembere

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) on Monday launched its #MedSafetyWeek awareness campaign urging Zimbabweans to report any undesired side effects of medicines they take. By Kudakwashe Pembere With most of the people locally and globally now virtually savvy, MCAZ joins the rest of the world in the #MedSafetyWeek social media campaign which is in its seventh year running. This year’s #MedSafetyWeek comes as MCAZ  witnessed  a colossal jump in the number of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) during 2021 when 445 cases were reported compared to 51 the…

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Govt bails out PSMI and PSMAS

Kuda Pembere

Government has come to the rescue of the embattled Premier Service Medical Investments (PSMI) alongside Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS with a ZWL$4 billion package meant to resurrect the companies’ operations. By Kudakwashe Pembere The money was extended to the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) which will apportion some of the money to PSMI whose facilities are closing due to incapacitation of workers. In a statement, Public Service Commission Secretary Dr Rosemary Tsitsi Choruma said the money will also be used to settle the four-month salary backlog of…

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Put health at the front and centre of COP27, says WHO

Kuda Pembere

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says health must be put at the fore at the COP27 climate change negotiations. By HealthTimes Reporter The COP27 negotiations began today in Egypt. “On the eve of the pivotal climate talks at COP27, WHO issues a grim reminder that the climate crisis continues to make people sick and jeopardizes lives and that health must be at the core of these critical negotiations. “WHO believes the conference must conclude with progress on the four key goals of mitigation, adaptation, financing and collaboration to tackle the…

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Zim launches new National Eye Health Strategy

Kuda Pembere

Zimbabwe has launched its new National Eye Health Strategy to quell the growing burden of eye diseases in the country. By Kudakwashe Pembere Speaking at the official launch at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on Wednesday, Vice President and Health and Child Care Minister Dr Constantino Chiwenga said this strategy for the period 2021 to 2025 comes at a time when the country is aiming to provide accessible, timely and quality eye services to all, in need of care in Zimbabwe. In addition, my Ministry is calling for additional investments required…

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Massive jump in COVID-19 Vaccines Linked Reactions Recorded In 2021

Kuda Pembere

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) saw a colossal jump in the number of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) during 2021 as 445 cases were reported compared to 51 the previous year. By Kuda Pembere An adverse event following immunization (AEFI) is any untoward medical occurrence following immunization which does not necessarily have a causal relationship to the vaccine. There was a tremendous rise in the number of AEFI reports received in 2021 (445) as compared to 2020 whereby 51 reports were received. This is mainly attributed to the…

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5 000 Zimbabwean babies infected with HIV in 2021…As mothers shun PMTCT

Kuda Pembere

Close to 5000 babies got infected with HIV in 2021 due the mothers’ reluctancy to get antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy and breastfeeding. By Kudakwashe Pembere Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Deputy PMTCT and Paediatric HIV Care and Treatment Coordinator, Dr Precious Andifasi last Friday told journalists at a National Aids Council media training workshop in Chinhoyi that 4 750 babies got infected during pregnancy and breastfeeding.  As a program, we collect some data every year just to try and see where the new infections are coming from. So,…

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Government wraps up MCAZ’s legal instruments

Kuda Pembere

Government says it is winding up the validation of legislations meant to bring the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) closer to its desired target of achieving the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) Maturity Level 3. By Kudakwashe Pembere The WHO’s assessment of regulatory authorities is based on the ‘ Global Benchmarking Tool’ – an evaluation tool that checks regulatory functions against a set of more than 260 indicators – covering core regulatory functions such as product authorization, testing of products, market surveillance and the ability to…

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HIV advocate Cathy Murombedzi upbeat about HIV cure

Kuda Pembere

A bullish veteran journalist and Health Communicators Forum (HCF) vice chairperson Catherine Murombedzi is among the hopefuls who live to tell this tale. By Kudakwashe Pembere Seeing her feels like reliving the biblical times when Jews waited for the Messiah. Having kept her faith, Cathy is upbeat she will see the HIV cure in her lifetime. I am certain an HIV Cure is possible. There was no treatment at the onset of HIV in the early 1980s up to the 90s, but here we are today, there is anti-retroviral therapy,…

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