Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Zimbabwe Urged To Invest Heavily Towards Biomedical HIV Prevention Research

Michael Gwarisa

THERE is need for Zimbabwe to mobilise domestic financial and technical resources for the purposes of enhancing HIV Biomedical research and development, experts have said. By Michael Gwarisa This was revealed during a mini Biomedical HIV-Prevention Forum (BHPF) that was held in Harare.  The Biennial Forum is an official pre-conference of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs      in Africa (ICASA). The BHPF in 2021 is the fifth such event, following the successful events hosted in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Three countries, Cote d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe and Rwanda will be hosting…

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Health Ministry Dismisses Viral Video Of Woman Claiming She Reacted To Vaccine

Michael Gwarisa

THE Bulawayo Metropolitan Provincial Medical Director (PMD),  Dr Maphios Siamuchembu has poured water on a video currently making rounds on social media of a 27 year old woman, Cleopatra Ncube from Cowdry Park in Bulawayo who claims to have developed an adverse reaction that led to her fingers and lower limbs drying up soon after getting jabbed with the Sinovac, a Chinese manufactured vaccine being administered in Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa According to the viral video, Cleopatra took the vaccine on July 27, 2021 when health officials were conducting inoculations…

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Separating Premature New Borns From Their Mothers Increases Risk Of Death In Babies

Michael Gwarisa

THE act of separating preterm or premature babies from their mothers soon after birth has been proven to have negative health implications on the growth and development of the child and in most cases a leading cause of death in preterm babies, an expert has said. By Michael Gwarisa Premature babies are babies are “born too soon” ,born before 37 weeks of gestation and according to global health  statistics, preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five; each year, about 15 million babies…

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Zimbabwe On The Verge Of Decriminalizing HIV Transmission

Michael Gwarisa

FOLLOWING massive lobbying and advocacy from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), parliament, the media and some quasi government institutions, Zimbabwe is at the cusp of decriminalizing wilful or deliberate transmission of HIV. By Michael Gwarisa This was revealed during the launch of a Media Tool Kit on HIV criminalization by the Health Law & Policy Consortium in Harare. The decriminalization of HIV in Zimbabwe is tied to the Marriages Bill, Section 53 (2) which if enacted, will result in the repeal of Section 79 of the Criminal Law Code which criminalizes…

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Teen Pregnancies and Early Marriages Rear Ugly Head in Zim’s Farming Communities

Michael Gwarisa

IT’S a normal day inside Sable Ranch, a farming community at least 6 kilometers outside Marondera town in Mashonaland East province. Since its tobacco planting season, majority of labourers have been sent on a two-week long leave to give the tobacco plant enough time to grow. Just like their parents, school children at Ranch Farm and other surrounding farming communities are attending school just twice every week to adhere to government set COVID-19 prevention protocols. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Marondera, Mashonaland East While the adults have capitalized on the…

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Race affecting HIV service provision in the United States of America

Michael Gwarisa

HIV service disparities by race have been documented in several parts of the developed world. In the United States of America, black people account for a disproportionately large percentage of new HIV infections in the country: 41% in 2019, although they represent only about 13% of the national population. This is in part due to lower coverage of HIV prevention services. Just 8% of black Americans and 14% of Hispanics/Latinos who were eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis were prescribed it, compared to 63% of whites. Studies also report significant racial disparities…

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Two Years After Nairobi Summit, High-Level Commission calls for urgent, ambitious action to end alarming disparities in sexual and reproductive justice

Michael Gwarisa

Two years on from the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 — where governments, civil society and the private sector came together voluntarily to recommit to realizing the promises of the landmark 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo — the High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 Follow-up has launched its first report. Own Correspondent The Commission, an independent advisory body of eminent leaders from around the world was formed to track progress on the 12 commitments in the Nairobi Statement.  In its report, “No Exceptions. No…

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Boost For Zim COVID-19 Fight As Zim Red Cross Receives 35 Oxygen Concentrators That Use Atmospheric Oxygen… No Need for Refills

Michael Gwarisa

THE Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS), has received 35 Oxygen Concentrators from the Singapore Red Cross through the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and the Red Crescent Societies that will enhance the country’s capacity to handle oxygen demanding emergencies including COVID-19. By Michael Gwarisa The donation comes ahead of an envisaged 4th Wave of the COVID-19 that many fear could have devastating effects compared to the previous three waves. The 35 Oxygen Concentrators will be installed at the Red Cross Clinic in Harare and will be used in the…

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ZNFPC, Partners Launches HIV Prevention Program For Young Girls and Women

Michael Gwarisa

IN a move that is meant to reduce new HIV infections in young people in Southern Africa, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) and its partners Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) and Namibia Planned Parenthood Association (NAPPA) have introduced a project that will integrate HIV prevention methods with Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and their partners. By Patricia Mashiri The USD$100 872.00 SADC member countries resource mobilization initiative, is a two year funded project which is aimed at building capacity for…

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