Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Harare City Signs Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities To End AIDS By 2030

Michael Gwarisa

THE City of Harare today joined 350 other Cities globally who in signing the declaration on Fast-Track Cities and commit to Ending AIDS by the year 2030. By Michael Gwarisa The Fast-Track Cities initiative is a global partnership between cities with an HIV burden and four core partners: the City of Paris, France,( the first city to sign on the initiative); the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC); and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat Making his commitment, Acting…

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Zimbabwe Records Over 1000 New COVID-19 Cases

Michael Gwarisa

…As country detects new Omicron variant …Expert warns against Hard Lockdowns A total 1 042 new local cases of COVID-19 were recorded last night, signalling the arrival of a fourth wave that many public health experts fear could be more devastating compared to previous waves due to the absence of adequate healthcare personal to attend to hospitalisations and severe cases. By Michael Gwarisa According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s (MoHCC) daily situation report of December, 2 2021, 80 of the new 1042 are cases were detected from…

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Zimbabwe Records First Omicron Variant Linked Case

Michael Gwarisa

Zimbabwe has confirmed the presence of the Omicron variant in the country, making it the third Southern African country to have conformed the strain after South Africa and Botswana. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking on national Television, Vice President, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care Minister did not however indicate the number of cases linked to the new coronavirus strain. We are now in a particularly dangerous period once again, where the fourth wave is slowly visiting us with the identification of the B.1.1.529 or the…

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A Doctor with a heart of Gold

Michael Gwarisa

GUARDIAN angels come in many forms and for Nyasha Chripasi (17) from Saziya village who was born with a disability, her prayers were answered the day she met Dr Tapiwa Nyamangodo, the Clinical Supervisor for the Zimbabwe Idai Recovery Project (ZIRP) working the World Health Organisation in Chimanimani. By Michael Gwarisa Dr Nayamangodo has been leading a team of health and medical experts who were working under the ZIRP integrated health project where an array of services were being offered to Cyclone Idai survivors in Chimanimani district in Manicaland. Under…

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Shamwari Yemwanasikana To Commission A Girls Only One Stop Empowerment Centre

Michael Gwarisa

IN what is likely to improve access to emergency health services and economic opportunities for girls who would have experienced various forms of abuse, Shamwari Yemwanasinaka is in the process of finalising the construction of a One Stop Empowerment Centre in rural Seke. By Michael Gwarisa The empowerment centre, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe, will offer shelter to girls aged zero to 18 who would have experienced violence of any kind and who are in need of a safe shelter away from home or the perpetrator. In an…

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It’s All Systems Go for ESA Ministerial Commitments Reaffirmation Meeting at ICASA 2021

Michael Gwarisa

HEALTH ministers from across East and Southern African (ESA) countries will converge in Durban, South Africa to reaffirm their commitment to advancing Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and youth friendly services in line with the 2030 development agenda and address unfinished business. By Michael Gwarisa In 2030, 20 ESA countries affirmed the ESA Ministerial commitments and in 2021, the affirmation meeting will take place during the 2021 International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Africa (ICASA) conference in Durban South Africa which is running from 6 to 10…

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Africa CDC Warns Against Knee-Jerk Travel Ban

Michael Gwarisa

THE Africa Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC) says there is no science to prove  that travel bans work against reducing spread of the coronavirus. By Michael Gwarisa This comes as a reaction to the move by the United Kingdom (UK), Singapore and other countries that have imposed bans on Southern African countries for fear of of the new variant the B.1.1.529 that was detected by South African scientists. In a statement, the Africa CDC said, “Africa CDC strongly discourages the imposition of travel ban for people originating from countries…

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FIFA supports World Health Organization 16-day campaign to raise awareness on domestic violence

Michael Gwarisa

FIFA and the World Health Organization have teamed up to raise awareness about domestic violence and support those at risk, during the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The campaign kicks off on today’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and will run until Human Rights Day on Friday 10 December. “Violence is never the answer, especially at home, which should be a safe environment for everyone, and particularly for women and children,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “It is FIFA’s statutory obligation to respect all…

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Zim Gvt In Schools COVID-19 Vaccination Blitz For 16 To 17 Year Olds

Michael Gwarisa

THE Zimbabwean government has announced a jump in the national COVID-19 vaccination numbers over the past seven days at the back of increased uptake of vaccines in the 16 to 17 years age groups in schools countrywide. By Michael Gwarisa Briefing Journalists during a Post-Cabinet Media Briefing in Harare, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the cumulative number of vaccines administered in the previous week increased significantly following the extension of vaccination towards the 16 to 17 year olds in schools. On the national vaccination programme,…

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RedSafe’ Provides Digital Vault And Information Service For Families Affected By Migration

Michael Gwarisa

Harare – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has launched a free, digital humanitarian platform for people affected by migration, armed conflict, and other situations of violence to safely store copies of passports, medical records and other important paperwork. Own Correspondent The application is being piloted by Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) and South African Red Cross Society (SARCS), with technical and financial support from ICRC. As part of the global Red Cross Movement, the ZRCS continues to offer the Restoration of Family Links programme which seeks to…

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