Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

MCAZ Recalls Defective Batch of YAZ Plus Contraceptives Over Quality

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has announced a Class II recall of a batch of YAZ Plus contraceptive tablets due to a quality defect that could compromise their efficacy and pose risks to patients. The recall affects YAZ PLUS TABLETS, REG. NO.: 2022/21.2.1/6235, BATCH: WEW961J, manufactured by Bayer (Pty) Ltd. South Africa. According to MCAZ, the defective packs contain an incorrect configuration of tablets: 24 light orange hormone-free tablets and 4 pink hormone tablets, instead of the required 24 pink hormone tablets and 4 light…

Read More

Zimbabwe’s INTEGRATE Program Marks Milestone: Over 150,000 Circumcisions Achieved in HIV Prevention Push

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Over 150,000 men and boys have undergone circumcision under the INTEGRATE-Catalyzing Integrated Sustainable Subnational HIV Biomedical Prevention Program, an initiative aimed at enhancing decentralized biomedical HIV prevention services in Zimbabwe. The program, implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) with technical support from Population Services International (PSI) and Population Solutions for Health (PSH), was catalyzed by funding from the Gates Foundation. Launched in November 2020, the INTEGRATE project was designed to run for four years and is set to conclude by the end of…

Read More

Zimbabwe’s First Bereavement Suite for Grieving Mothers Opens at Parirenyatwa Hospital

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a groundbreaking effort to provide mental health support and comfort to parents grieving the loss of a child at birth, a local mental health organization, Someone Always Listens To You (S.A.L.T), has refurbished and established a grieving room at the Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Wing of Parirenyatwa Hospital. According to Zimbabwean mental health statistics, one in four women may experience mental health challenges related to pregnancy and childbirth. Despite this, mental health services in the country remain severely underdeveloped. Officiating at the handover event for the bereavement…

Read More

MSF Secures CAB LA Doses For Zimbabwe and Three Other African Countries

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has secured a limited supply of long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA), a groundbreaking HIV prevention medication, following months of negotiations with Viiv, its sole manufacturer. The initial rollout is set to begin later this year in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Eswatini. To prepare for this rollout, MSF conducted a four-day training workshop for clinicians, nurses, and future implementers. The training aimed to build capacity among healthcare workers to effectively administer CAB-LA and integrate it into HIV prevention efforts. Dr. Gerald Hangaika, from MSF’s Mbare…

Read More

Zambia Offers Health Care to Zimbabweans — but for How Long?

Michael Gwarisa

By Gamuchirai Masiyiwa Global Press Zimbabwe When Dube was diagnosed with gallstones in 2013, the public hospital in Zimbabwe recommended surgery costing close to 4,000 United States dollars. She couldn’t afford that. A friend suggested she go to Zambia, about 150 kilometers (94 miles) to the north. There, the friend said, treatment would be cheaper. Over the past decade, Dube has gone to Zambia multiple times for medical treatment. Her most recent trip was in June. Treatment is cheaper there, she says, but the level of care is also far…

Read More

Cholera Cases Rise To 32 in Kariba Amid Fresh Outbreak

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The number of confirmed cholera cases in Kariba has risen to 36, with no new fatalities, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has confirmed. The latest outbreak, which began on November 6, 2024, in the fishing community of Gache Gache, has primarily affected fishermen and villagers who are presenting symptoms of cholera. One death has been recorded since the outbreak began. In an interview with HealthTimes, Dr. Godfrey Muza, the Kariba District Medical Officer under the MoHCC, confirmed that the outbreak remains localized. Cholera cases…

Read More

Zimbabwe Considers Cost Recovery Strategy For Family Planning Products

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Amid growing donor fatigue and declining international support, Zimbabwe is pursuing a cost recovery framework for contraceptive commodities to ensure the sustainability and accessibility of reproductive health services. Spearheaded by the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and other partners, this initiative aims to maintain progress in reproductive health despite diminishing external funding. Like many nations dependent on donor contributions, Zimbabwe is seeking strategies to sustain its family planning programs. The proposed cost recovery framework intends…

Read More

No New Taxes To Be Introduced Under National Health Insurance

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Funds for Zimbabwe’s soon-to-be-implemented National Health Insurance (NHI) will be drawn from existing taxes and various sectors to minimize the financial burden on citizens, a senior government health economist has revealed. The principles of Zimbabwe’s NHI Fund have been approved by the Cabinet. This fund will pool resources from multiple sources into a single account, which will then finance the essential health services package. Targeted funding sources include local authority contributions, earmarked levies, health bonds, the Assisted Medical Treatment Order (AMTO), state contributions, portions of the War…

Read More

Breakthrough Study Finds African Children with Severe Malaria Showing Partial Resistance to Leading Malaria Drug

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter A new study from Uganda provides the first evidence to date that resistance to a lifesaving malaria drug may be emerging in the group of patients that accounts for most of the world’s malaria deaths: young African children suffering from serious infections. The study, presented today at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), documented partial resistance to the malaria drug artemisinin in 11 of 100 children, ages 6 months to…

Read More

Race for Men’s Health: Cimas iGo Marathon Champions Cancer Awareness and Wellness

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Cimas Health Group is gearing up for the annual Cimas iGo half-marathon, set to take place over two weekends in November across Harare and Bulawayo. This year, the event champions men’s health awareness, highlighting prostate and testicular cancer under the theme “Men’s Health Champions Build Healthier Communities.” The Harare marathon will be held on Sunday, November 17, at ZB Sports Club, and the Bulawayo leg on November 24 at Bulawayo Athletic Club. The event will feature three race categories—a 21km race starting at 5:30 AM, a 10km…

Read More