Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

UNFPA Regional Director to Visit Zimbabwe for High-Level Meetings and Program Evaluations

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Director, Lydia Zigomo will visit Zimbabwe to engage with government officials and partners on critical health and social initiatives, with the goal of advancing health, gender equality, and education across the country. During the visit, the Regional Director will attend the Joint Meeting of SADC Ministers of Health and Ministers responsible for HIV and AIDS, which will be held in Harare. The director’s mission to Zimbabwe also seeks to strengthen partnerships between UNFPA and the Government of Zimbabwe and to…

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Zimbabwean Innovators Win Cimas Healthathon with Epilepsy Monitoring App

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  Two young Zimbabweans have embarked on a mission to transform the nation’s healthcare landscape with a new digital tool, the Epi App. The innovation aims to provide real-time monitoring for epilepsy patients, potentially reducing the life-altering risks associated with the disorder. The mobile application, developed by Munashe Dube, a Bioengineering student at the University of Zimbabwe, and Lincoln Casette, an Electronics Engineering graduate from the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT), took the spotlight as the grand prize winner at the 2024 Cimas Healthathon. Epilepsy, a neurological disorder…

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Old Mutual Boosts Mater Dei Hospital with State-of-the-Art Operating Room Equipment Donation

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  Old Mutual Boosts Mater Dei Hospital with State-of-the-Art Operating Room Equipment Donatio Bulawayo, Zimbabwe — In a significant contribution to healthcare in Zimbabwe, Old Mutual Zimbabwe has donated advanced operating room equipment to Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo, enhancing the hospital’s capacity to deliver essential surgical care. This donation aligns with the National Health Strategy (2021-2025) and represents a pivotal step in strengthening healthcare infrastructure. Lillian Mbayiwa, Marketing, Public Affairs & Sustainability Executive at Old Mutual Zimbabwe, emphasized the company’s commitment to community impact. “As Old Mutual,…

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One Health and Climate: Dr. Onyango Speaks On Transforming Africa’s Health Resilience

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In 2024, African health ministers adopted a 10-year framework to build climate-resilient and sustainable health systems across the continent. This framework aims to guide World Health Organization (WHO) African region member states in translating global climate and health initiatives into concrete, actionable steps at the country level. For over a decade, the WHO has collaborated with member states and partners on policies and research initiatives to strengthen multisectoral efforts on health and environmental issues in Africa. These initiatives focus on creating strategies and frameworks that address the…

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Inaugural Climate and Health Conference Rallies Africa To Take Action Against Climate-Induced Health Threats

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Although Africa contributes less than 4% of global carbon dioxide emissions, it faces some of the harshest impacts of climate change on health and the environment, leaders at the inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC2024) have stated. Public health data shows that Africa is experiencing numerous climate-linked health hazards more than other regions in the world. This largely has to do with an already weakened health system and the absence of reliable early warning systems amongst a host of other factors. According to the World Health…

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Zim’s New Age Of Consent Law Wont Address Unintended Pregnancies Crises

Michael Gwarisa

By Edinah Masiyiwa In response to the pressure from early marriages and the rise of adolescent pregnancy, a new law was passed in Zimbabwe that raised the age for sexual consent from 16 to 18 years. This is known as the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons Act 2024) and it criminalises having sex with persons under the age of 18 years. The law also criminalises deliberate infection of the child with HIV or any other sexually transmitted disease. This is a law that has been passed because Zimbabweans…

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Zimbabwe’s Zvandiri HIV Care Model Helps Bend HIV Trajectory in Africa’s Children

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Zvandiri model, a peer-led program focused on children, adolescents, and young adults living with HIV aged 0-24, was launched in Zimbabwe 2o years ago mainly as a vehicle to increase and improve access to treatment and care for children and young persons living with HIV. The model Zvandiri is implemented by young people aged 18 to 24  known as Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS). They are trained and mentored to support their peers throughout the HIV care continuum through support groups, home visits, phone call reminders,…

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Pink October- PSMAS joins anti-cancer drive

Michael Gwarisa

By Health Reporter Through its Premier Lifestyle programme, Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) intensified its anti-cancer drive this October in commemoration of the BreastCancer Awareness Month. This drive has so far seen hundreds of members from Bulawayo, Manicaland and Mashonaland Central provinces receiving health education on breast cancer prevention including self-breast examinations. On top of the breast cancer awareness, PSMAS is also raising awareness and conducting screening for  cervical and prostate cancer among other conditions. October is dedicated to raising awareness around Breast cancer. According to Global Cancer Observatory,…

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Regional Progress Review Meeting for Scaled Up Peer-Led HIV Service Delivery Model Kicks Off In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Thirteen African countries are in Zimbabwe for a three-day consultation meeting to deliberate on the progress and gaps in the scaled-up Zvandiri peer provider model toward ending AIDS in children and adolescents. Zvandiri is implementing the Zvandiri model in Zimbabwe in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC). The program is a comprehensive, peer-led program focused on children, adolescents, and young adults living with HIV aged 0-24. The peers, known as community adolescent treatment supporters (CATS), are people living with HIV (PLHIV) aged 18–24…

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Iraq Propose Bill To Reduce Age Of Consent For Girls To 9 Years

Michael Gwarisa

In Iraq, a proposed bill seeks to amend the Personal Status Law and Amendments 1959, which could lower the age of marriage to as young as 9 years old for girls. The bill passed its first reading on 11 August 2024, one of three stages proposed legislation must pass before it is put to vote. Current legislation (the Personal Status Law and Amendments 1959, also known as Law 188) sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18, though individuals can marry at age 15 with judicial approval. The new…

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