Author: Michael Gwarisa

Editor for HealthTimes, Zimbabwe's leading online health news publication

#BREAKING: Measles Outbreak Hits Zimbabwe’s Mutasa District, 20 Deaths Recorded To Date

Michael Gwarisa

MUTASA district in Manicaland province in Zimbabwe, is facing a measles outbreak, amidst indications that more than 100 cases and 20 deaths have already been recorded since the outbreak was first reported last month, The HealthTimes can reveal. By Michael Gwarisa The Measles Outbreak in Mutasa comes hot on the heels of a warning by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) of a brewing perfect storm of conditions for measles outbreaks affecting children. In an interview, Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Permanent…

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WHO highlights glaring gaps in regulation of alcohol marketing across borders

Michael Gwarisa

A new report from the World Health Organization highlights the increasing use of sophisticated online marketing techniques for alcohol and the need for more effective regulation. It shows that young people and heavy drinkers are increasingly targeted by alcohol advertising, often to the detriment of their health. Reducing the harm from alcohol – by regulating cross-border alcohol marketing, advertising and promotion is the first report from WHO to detail the full extent of the way that alcohol is today being marketed across national borders – often by digital means –…

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Zimbabwe Trains Botswana On Developing HIV Prevention Cascades

Michael Gwarisa

A Zimbabwean delegation comprising of National AIDS Council (NAC) and Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) staff, recently travelled to Botswana to train and assist their counterparts to develop HIV Prevention Cascades. By Michael Gwarisa The training follows bilateral discussions between the two countries facilitated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country office in Botswana who had noted the progress that Zimbabwe had made in developing HIV prevention cascades to inform planning, implementation and tracking of the HIV response in the country. In an interview with HealthTimes, National…

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Zimbabwe On Offensive To Host African Medicines Agency Headquarters

Michael Gwarisa

A recent visit by the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Assessment team could unlock the door for Zimbabwe to host the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Headquarters. By Michael Gwarisa The AMA Assessment team visited Zimbabwe in April, 2022 as a follow-up to the submission of Zimbabwe’s bid to host the AMA Headquarters that was made in July 2021. Briefing Journalists during a Post Cabinet Meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the Assessment Team sought to evaluate Zimbabwe’s bid to host the AMA Headquarters as well as…

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PSMAS Under Probe Following Allegations Of Gold Trading

Michael Gwarisa

THE registrar of Medical Aid Societies has since ordered a forensic audit into the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS), to find out if the medical aid society is not abusing funds by engaging in non-core business, the Minister of Health and Child (MoHCC), Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said. By Michael Gwarisa Briefing Journalists in Harare, Dr Chiwenga said there have been “wild assertions” around PSMAS’s alleged activities outside the mandate of providing healthcare. Government remains concerned by some wild assertions that have been made about its intentions with regard…

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UNHCR and Spanish aid organization bring laughter to refugee children and their host community in Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

Harare, Zimbabwe: The independent international group Clowns Without Borders (CWB) and UNHCR partnered to bring laughter and happiness to refugee children at Tongogara Refugee Camp and the Chipinge District communities as a prelude to commemorations marking World Refugee Day, which will take place on June 20th. Own Correspondent Clowns Without Borders was created in 1993 to deal with the suffering caused by the war in the former Yugoslavia, especially for children. They are professional clowns or circus artists who volunteer their time and talent. From April 28 to May 6,…

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14.9 Excess Deaths Associated With The COVID-19 Pandemic In 2020-2021, Europe, America and South-East Asia Account For Majority Of Deaths

Michael Gwarisa

New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (described as “excess mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). “These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO…

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UNESCO Sets Eyes on Tertiary Education Students with New O3PLUS programme

Michael Gwarisa

THE United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has introduced the Our Rights, Our Lives Our Future Plus (O3 PLUS) programme, an initiative that aims to ensure young people in higher and tertiary education institutions (HTEIs) realize positive health, education, and gender equality outcomes. By Michael Gwarisa in South Africa Implementation of the O3PLUS programme follows the successful execution of the O3 programme, UNESCO’s flagship initiative which was launched three years ago. Unlike the general belief that students or learners in higher and tertiary education settings have reached the…

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O3 Annual Review Meeting kicks Off In South Africa

Michael Gwarisa

UNESCO’s flagship Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) programme Annual Review Meeting (ARM)  commenced in Johannesburg , South Africa on Wednesday, May 5 2021. By Michael Gwarisa in South Africa The O3 review meeting will be running for three days where UNESCO and its partners will review O3’s transformative results focusing on children, adolescents and young people. The O3 Programme which is being run in partnership with ministries of education and health, across 33 countries in sub-Saharan Africa has already made significant strides despite its Compressive Sexuality Education (CSE)…

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UNESCO’s flagship O3 Programme Empowers 30 million learners to prevent HIV, reduce EUPs and eliminate GBV

Michael Gwarisa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 4 Mai 2022 — UNESCO’s flagship Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O 3) Programme is holding its Annual Review and Partners’ Meeting from 4 to 6 May 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting will be opened by the Honorable Angie Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education in South Africa. The O 3 Programme, run in partnership with ministries of education and health, supports 33 countries across sub-Saharan Africa to work towards a region where adolescents and young people are empowered, healthy and resilient and have the…

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