Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Agricultural Pesticides Used In Vegetables Linked To Six Deadly Cancers

Michael Gwarisa

By Medical News In areas near agricultural production, pesticides increase the risk of developing cancer as much as smoking, according to a new nationwide study. Its authors found strong links between environmental pesticides and leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, bladder, colon, lung, and pancreatic cancers, as well as cancer combinations. The researchers compared the risks of pesticides to the known cancer risk associated with smoking cigarettes to provide an easily understood measure of risk. While the authors assert that “pesticides are an essential feature of modern-day agriculture” — resulting in robust crop…

Read More

Women who rarely have sex are at an increased risk of dying, study finds

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter A recent study, based on data from the 2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), has found that women who rarely engage in sexual activity have a 70% higher risk of dying compared to those who have sex at least once per week. Additionally, individuals with depression who had sex much less than once per week had a 197% higher risk of dying than those who had sex around once per week. These findings were published in the Journal of Psychosexual Health. Frequent sex has been…

Read More

Here Is How Instant Noodles and Zap Snacks Could Be Slowly Killing Zimbabwean Children

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa While they may be convenient and easy to prepare for your little ones, flavoured snacks, foods and beverages contain high sugar, salt and or unhealthy fats that can increase the risk of becoming overweight or obese, and of related chronic diseases later in life. Data from the 2024 Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) show that Zimbabwe recorded obesity levels of 5.2% in Infants and Young Children (IYC) owing to consumption of unhealthy foods. According to the study, unhealthy snack food and beverage consumption in Zimbabwe has been…

Read More

New IAS President Welcomes Decision To Rotate International AIDS Conference

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Newly elected International AIDS Society (IAS) president, Beatriz Grinsztejn says the decision to rotate hosting of the International AIDS Conference. This comes amid indications that Rwanda will be hosting the 2025 edition the annual International AIDS Conference. The move is set to reduce incidences of Visa related challenges experienced by attendees mainly from Africa and other third world countries. Announcing the development, newly elected IAS president,  Beatriz Grinsztejn said the rotational policy was a step in the right direction. Following the many denied visas at AIDS 2022…

Read More

Africa CDC and Africa Public Health Foundation Forge Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Health Systems

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Nairobi, Kenya. July 25, 2024 – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Africa Public Health Foundation (APHF) have signed an agreement to support strengthening health systems in Africa Union Member States. APHF was established to enable investments in public health activities that support Africa CDC’s goals and objectives across the continent. It’s main operational vectors include resource mobilisation, grants management, advocacy for improved policies, private sector engagement and contributing to the analysis of public health data. H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General…

Read More

Over 20 Zimbabwean MPs Appointed Into Global Parliamentary Platform on HIV and AIDS

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A new Global Parliamentary Platform on HIV and AIDS has been established at the ongoing International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany in a bid to build momentum to end AIDS ahead of the 2030 target. The new platform is set to provide the space, tools, and other resources to unite, strengthen, and amplify the leadership of parliamentarians committed to ending AIDS and new HIV transmissions. From Zimbabwe, over 20 Members of Parliament (MPs) mainly from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care led by Hon…

Read More

HIV vaccines tested in PrEPVacc fail to reduce infections

Michael Gwarisa

The results of the PrEPVacc HIV vaccine trial conducted in Eastern and Southern Africa, which ran between 2020 and 2024, show conclusively that neither of the two experimental vaccine regimens tested reduced HIV infections among the study population. Vaccinations in the PrEPVacc trial were stopped in November 2023 (and publicly announced in December 2023) when it became clear to independent experts monitoring the study data that there was little or no chance of the vaccines demonstrating efficacy in preventing HIV acquisition. The PrEPVacc vaccine trial results, announced today at AIDS…

Read More

“Ending AIDS is impossible if we do not prioritize children” – EGPAF

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter MUNICH, GERMANY – 22 July 2024 – The UNAIDS Global Report, “The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads,” released today, says “ending AIDS as a public health threat is achievable by 2030 but that success is being threatened by pushes to reduce funding and to restrict human rights.” Challenges faced by children living with HIV are among the most significant threats to progress. “The report clearly shows that truly ending AIDS is impossible if we do not prioritize children,” said Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)…

Read More

Dr Agnes Mahomva Appointed to WHO Afro’s Emergencies Technical Advisory Group

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s Public Health Advisor to the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva together with 16 other African health leaders have been appointed to the African Region, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa Emergency Preparedness & Response Technical Advisory Group (EPR-TAG). The independent body serves as the principal advisory group to WHO AFRO for strategic guidance on all matters pertaining to public health emergency preparedness and response. The EPR Technical Advisory Group will support WHO African Member States to fortify health security in the face of…

Read More

Zim’s Health Ministry moots National Public Health Institute

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere Efforts are underway to establish a National Public Health Institute (NPHI) for Zimbabwe to help avert and manage epidemics and pandemics in the country, a senior government official said on Friday. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said this while addressing the Health development partners’ coordination forum meeting. Furthermore, the ministry is in the process of establishing a national institute for public health to assist government in the prevention and control of pandemics,” he said. The NHPI, he said, is being established with support from…

Read More