Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Anna Sango Joins Global Network of People Living With HIV

Michael Gwarisa

TRAILBLAZING and young HIV advocate, Anna Sango has joined the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) as the PLHIV Stigma Index advocacy officer. By Michael Gwarisa As an advocacy officer, Anna will be working closely with the team in providing technical assistance to countries implementing the PLHIV Stigma Index. She will focus on providing assistance to countries on how to turn the results of the PLHIV Stigma Index into advocacy actions. Commenting on her appointment, Anna said she was ready and rearing to go and she would give…

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Ministry of Health Restructuring Exercise To Prioritize Health Care Workers Welfare

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) is currently undergoing an overhaul restructuring process which is meant to bring sanity to the country’s health sector which will see conditions of service for health workers improve, a top government official has said. By Michael Gwarisa The restructuring process has already claimed scalps of various top brass within he ministry and its departments. To date, several hospital Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), ministry department directors and other high-profile personnel have either been reassigned or resigned from their posts. Briefing Journalists today, Health…

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Embalming COVID-19 Corpses Not Recommended, As WHO Releases New Guidelines For Managing Dead Bodies Under COVID-19

Michael Gwarisa

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned funeral services organizations and mortuary services facilities against embalming COVID-19 bodies as it still poses a risk of infection to unsuspecting staffers. By Michael Gwarisa In its new interim guidelines for Infection prevention and control for the safe management of a dead body in the context of COVID-19 released on Friday, September 2020, the World Health Organisation said even though the risk of infection from a cadaver is very low, there is still risk should one get into contact with body secretions and…

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COVID-19 Shuts Door To Infertile Women Seeking IVF Services In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

MAJORITY of women seeking In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) services could not be assisted during the COVID-19 induced lockdown restrictions despite the fact that many could be racing against their biological clock. By Michael Gwarisa In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help with fertility or prevent genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child. During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. In an interview with HealthTimes, Mwanachipo Africa Trust (MAT) Board Chairperson, Mr Heaven Munyuki said…

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CDC Intensifies Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

THE Center for Diseases Control (CDC) has scaled up Cervical Cancer and treatment in Zimbabwe in a bid to reduce the high mortality and morbidity associated with the disease  in  Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa According to official statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Cervical Cancer kills not less than 2000 women annually and majority of affected women are women living with HIV. In its 2019 Annual report, CDC Zimbabwe 2019 said HIV remains an important risk factor for cervical cancer, with HIV-positive women 4-5 times more…

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#BREAKING: Malawian Man Who Murdered Zim Girlfriend 10 Years Ago Gets Life Sentence

Michael Gwarisa

  A Malawian man, Misozi Chanthunya who murdered his Zimbabwean girlfriend Linda Gasa 10 years ago, was this morning sentenced to life imprisonment by a Malawian court. Michael Gwarisa Speaking to HealthTimes on the development, Lucky Mkandawire, a Malawian Journalist who was covering the proceedings and works for the country’s leading English daily The Nation,  confirmed that  a Malawi High Court sitting in the country’s old capital city Zomba had sentenced Chanthunya to life imprisonment for contrary to Section 209 of the Penal Code though murdering his girlfriend Linda Gasa,…

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Division Rocks Nurses Strike, Some Returning To Work On Monday

Michael Gwarisa

THE three month long industrial action by nurses hangs in limbo amidst indications that some nurses have thrown in the towel after Health and Child Care Minister, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga indicated that he would only negotiate with those reporting for duty. By Michael Gwarisa Impeccable sources close to the developments told this publication that the nurses camp was under siege from dark forces who were influencing other nurses to genuflect to government’s demands even in the absence of a good remuneration and Personal Protective Clothing (PPE). It’s a divide…

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Ministry of Health Launches COVID-19 Booth

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has launched a COVID-19 booth in Epworth, as part of its efforts to bridge the information gap so to limit the spread of misinformation around COVID-19. By Michael Gwarisa Launching the COVID-19 Booth, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister, Dr John Mangwiro said the impact of the pandemic had disrupted services and in the process disinformation had also reigned supreme. The pandemic has seen interruption in trade, work and business, stoppage of schools and travel, diminished incomes, brought social distress, illness and…

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Merck Foundation’s first Online Summit with African First Ladies to strengthen healthcare capacity and joint response to COVID 19

Michael Gwarisa

THE MFFLI VC Summit, special edition aims to share experiences, discuss challenges, and define solutions to further strengthen healthcare capacity to better respond to this global pandemic in Africa ACCRA, Ghana, September 2, 2020/ — Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany conducted their first Video Conference Summit of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) on 31st August 2020 to define and follow up on different joint programs that aims to advance public healthcare sector capacity and strengthen the response to COVID 19 in their countries. The…

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COVID-19 disrupts access to SRHR for Zim’s LGBTI Community

Michael Gwarisa

LESBIAN, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people may be particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic according to a paper by the United Nations titled COVID-19 and the human rights of LGBTI people. Amongst the LGBTI community are people living with compromised immune systems, including some persons living with HIV/AIDS who also face a greater risk fromCOVID-19. However, the community continues to face massive stigma and discrimination at the hands of health workers and society. With the coming in of the COVID-19, and given an overloaded health system in Zimbabwe,…

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