Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Investing in midwives is crucial for sustainable development

Michael Gwarisa

Midwives save lives. In the last 100 years, we have seen significant advancements and achievements in the age-old profession of bringing life into the world. Yet, in the Asia and the Pacific region alone, there is a staggering shortage of 200,000 midwives. By Björn Andersson This year, as we mark the centennial anniversary of the International Confederation of Midwives, we celebrate the bravery, skills, and compassion of midwives, while calling on governments to commit to increased investments in midwifery across Asia and the Pacific to uphold sexual and reproductive health…

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Angels Foundation Launches Men’s Month Campaign

Michael Gwarisa

Angels Foundation Zimbabwe says it will be launching a Men’s Month in coming June as a way to celebrate the sacrifices of men as fathers, uncles, brothers and sons in society and it will be celebrated every year going forward. Staff Reporter Speaking to HealthTimes, Mr Edmore Munyoro said men in general have a poor health seeking behaviour and the launch will try to address that. Angels Foundation Zimbabwe has chosen June because of Father’s day that is celebrated yearly in that month as the organization aims to raise awareness…

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Zim’s high neo-natal mortality needs urgent attention-Rusike

Michael Gwarisa

THE number of children dying within their first 28 days of life has remained high and unchanged over the past 33 years at the back of numerous factors such as malnutrition amongst a host of others, a United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said. By Michael Gwarisa Neo-natal mortality refers to the number of deaths during the first 28 completed days of life per 1000 live births in a given year or other period. According to UNCEF’s Annual Report for the year 2021, neo-natal mortality rate has remained practically unchanged…

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Inconsistencies Surround Zimbabwe’s US$12.4 Million Free Sanitary Wear Initiative

Michael Gwarisa

…Rural School Girls Receive Panty Liners Instead of Sanitary Pads …Ministry of Primary Education Says There Is Nothing Sinister   THE ministry of primary and secondary education (MoPSE) has come under fire from Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) experts after it  emerged that there have been gross irregularities in the distribution of sanitary products under the Free Sanitary Wear Initiative that was launched by government in 2020. By Michael Gwarisa The Free Sanitary Wear initiative was announced by Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube in his 2020…

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Girls Share First Time Menstruation Experiences

Michael Gwarisa

ONE way in which women graduate from girlhood into womanhood is through menstruation or having a period. A period is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s monthly cycle. Every month, a woman’s body prepares for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, the uterus, or womb, sheds its lining. The menstrual blood is partly blood and partly tissue from inside the uterus. By Michael Gwarisa A girl’s first period is a major milestone in her life and girls should celebrate this monthly natural occurrence as it’s just proof…

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Japan commits almost half a million United States dollars for increased access to GBV and SRH Services For Women And Young People

Michael Gwarisa

The Government of Japan has committed US$ 462,962 to strengthen Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) mitigation and response for vulnerable women and girls in the districts of Mbire and Shamva in Mashonaland Central Province, in a partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health agency. Staff Reporter Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a multi-hazard humanitarian crisis where a protracted climate change crisis has been further exacerbated by economic instability and the COVID-19 pandemic, among many other factors. The multi-hazard nature of this…

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University of Mauritius Develops Breast Cancer Awareness App with Support from Oracle

Michael Gwarisa

Over 1,000 users benefit from cancer prevention service running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure   Oracle and the University of Mauritius(UoM) today announced the successful completion of a three-year skills development program that has trained over 1,000 UoM students in the latest cloud computing technologies. As part of the program the student entrepreneurs of Oracle Student Ambassador Club used Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and Oracle NoSQL Database technologies to successfully develop a mobile application for breast cancer awareness. This application and further innovation efforts of the student entrepreneurs will be supported…

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“Let’s Talk” Radio Drama series: Conversations to help eliminate early and unintended pregnancy in the ESA region

Michael Gwarisa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 21 April 2022 — Navigating your adolescent years can often be confusingand intimidating to say the least, let alone protecting yourself from the unintended consequences ofunprotected sex. How does a young woman safely negotiate condom use with her partner? Where does ateenage girl go to receive contraceptives without being judged by a healthcare worker? What is the role ofyoung men and boys in preventing unintended pregnancies? These are some of the issues that 32 percentof East and Southern Africa’s youthful population aged 10-24 years-old often contend with…

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From Heaven To Hell In 12 Months: A GBV Survivor’s Story

Michael Gwarisa

NOMAGUGU Hurumba (22) is an orphan and a single mother to a three year old son. Growing up in Chiredzi, especially after the demise of her parents was never easy. To compound her woes, when she was in Form 3, Noma had to drop out of school after her siblings had indicated that they were no longer able to shoulder her school fees burden. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Chipinge She moved from Chiredzi to stay with her sister in Chipinge. However, persistent economic hardships in the  country pushed her…

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Love Shouldn’t Hurt Campaign Movement Grows in The Grassroots

Michael Gwarisa

IN a move that is set to empower males to speak out and act against intimate partner violence in the homes and relationship settings, Population Solutions for Health (PSH) has taken the Love Shouldn’t Hurt campaign to rural and marginalised communities in Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa in Bindura The Love Shouldn’t Hurt campaign is a two-year program that is implemented by Population Service International (PSI) through their partner Population Solutions for Health (PSH) with funding support from the Swedish Embassy. The campaign which started off as a mass media blitz…

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