Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Lower New TB Drug Price Further- MSF

Michael Gwarisa

DOCTORS Without Borders (MSF) says they acknowledge the lower price offered to the government of South Africa for newer anti tuberculosis (TB) drug, delamanid, but have called for it to be significantly lower and expanded to all countries in need. By Michael Gwarisa Mylan, which licenses the drug from the patent-holder Otsuka, will charge about US$940 for a six-month treatment course about $157 per month as of 1 June 2020 in South Africa. Delamanid is used in combination with other drugs to treat people with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), including the…

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#BREAKING: Court Orders Doctors To Return To Work

Michael Gwarisa

THE labour Court has told doctors to abandon the strike and resume work immediately. By Michael Gwarisa Justice Lawrence Murasi today ruled that the strike was illegal thereby asking the Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association members to terminate the collective job action. “It is ordered that the collective job action engaged by members of respondent on September 3 2019 be and is hereby declared unlawful. The said collective job action be and is hereby ordered to be terminated forthwith.” Details to follow….

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Zimbabwean girls ‘take over’ UN leadership

Michael Gwarisa

GIRLS selected from the Junior Parliament of Zimbabwe today took over roles as leaders in the United Nations (UN) and six of its  agencies in commemoration of International Day of the Girl Child. The girls were selected from the Junior Parliament of Zimbabwe through an essay competition took the helm of UN leadership replacing the roles of the UN Resident Coordinator, and six UN heads of Agencies making a symbolic statement on the need to empower girls to make decisions, assume leadership roles, and live and thrive in a gender…

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#BREAKING: Judgement On Doctors VS HSB Case Deferred To A Later Date

Michael Gwarisa

THE Labour Court has set the ruling for a case between junior doctors and the Health Service Board to a later date By Kudakwashe Pembere The case pitted doctors under the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association and HSB on withdrawal of services due to incapacitation. This was after the judges heard submissions by lawyers from both parties who explained the withdrawal of services by the incapacitated doctors along with the remedies provided within the Labour Act and Health Service Act should doctors as part of essential services. The Labour Court judges…

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Tough Time For Patients Seeking Blood Transfusion

Michael Gwarisa

PATIENTS seeking blood transfusion and blood related services in public health institutions have been dealt a heavy blow following a month long doctor’s strike which has left most public health institutions without adequate staff to mann various hospitals divisions. By Michael Gwarisa In an interview with HealthTimes, National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) Public Affairs Manager, Ms Esther Massundah  said blood in all public health institutions was still free but the prevailing health crisis which has been exacerbated by the doctors incapacitation has exposed poor patients to exorbitant charges for blood…

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Doctors Labour Court Case Postponed…As Gvt Presents Half-baked Evidence

Michael Gwarisa

LAWYERS representing the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association’s (ZDHA) request to have the case deferred to Thursday afternoon has been granted following indications that government failed to furnish the courts with enough evidence relating to the case. By Michael Gwarisa The ZHDA through their lawyer, Mr Douglas Coltart requested for minutes from the meeting held between the Public Service,Labour and Social Welfare minister Sekai Nzenza and the ZHDA acting secretary general, Dr Twanda Zvakada which the applicant failed to submit amongst other documents. This is now the second time that the…

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Urgent boost and ‘reality check’ needed for HIV and TB funding, says new MSF report

Michael Gwarisa

AFTER a decade of strong commitments to fight the twin epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis (TB), a decline in international funding and the rapid shifting of the financial burden to affected countries is in danger of reversing lifesaving gains and causing an ‘epidemic rebound’ in some countries, warns a new report released by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) ahead of the Global Fund’s replenishment conference in Lyon, France, from 9-10 October. First decline in a decade The goal of ending HIV and TB is still far from being achieved: together the…

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Zim Drafts Commitments Ahead Of ICPD Summit

Michael Gwarisa

GOVERNMENT ministries, the United Nations family in Zimbabwe and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have come up with a number commitments to be tabled at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) summit to be held in Nairobi, Kenya next month. By Michael Gwarisa The development comes amidst calls from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Zimbabwe to propose achievable and realistic targets which translate into tangible development for various populations in particular youths. Speaking at the ICPD25 Validation meeting in Harare, UNFPA country representative, Dr Esther Muia…

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#GoodNews: If Your Virus Is Undetectable, You Cant Transmit HIV

Michael Gwarisa

ACCORDING to 20 years of research and evidence, HIV treatment is highly effective in reducing the transmission of HIV. People living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy who have an undetectable level of HIV in their blood have a negligible risk of transmitting HIV sexually. According to the UNAIDS, three large studies of sexual HIV transmission among thousands of couples, one partner of which was living with HIV and the other was not, were undertaken between 2007 and 2016. In those studies, there was not a single case of sexual transmission…

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Youths Want Inclusion In SRHR Planning

Michael Gwarisa

YOUTHS should be involved in the planning and implementation of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) interventions if Zimbabwe is to address the unfinished business affecting young people, a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) official has said. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking on the side-lines of a two day International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Youth Engagement meeting, UNFPA Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) Program Analyst, Pennelope Kasere said Zimbabwe has made strides in addressing so may issues affecting young people but more still needs to be done to…

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