Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Kaizen 5s Model Improves Quality of Care In Rural Health Facilities

Michael Gwarisa

For Mercy Gowe who works as a linen checker at Mtawatawa District Hospital in Mashonaland East, managing linen and laundry at the health facility a few years ago was a challenge as there was not much of a coordinated system to handle the hospital’s laundry. By Michael Gwarisa in Mashonaland East Her job is to ensure that linen is flowing to patient areas. This includes receiving linen from vendors, distributing, and restocking clean linen via linen carts, picking up soiled/dirty linen carts, and emptying dirty linen containers. The linen includes…

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UNFPA Zimbabwe Explores Use Of Drones To Reach Women and Girls In Inaccessible Areas With Services

Michael Gwarisa

The United Nations Population Fund in Zimbabwe (UNFPA-Zimbabwe), says it will soon be rolling out Drone Technology to deliver services to women and girls in hard-to-reach areas. By Michael Gwarisa The move is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which recognize innovation as critical to accelerating progress towards global development aspirations as it ensures they deliver on their three transformative results to end preventable maternal death, end unmet need for family planning, and end violence gender-based violence (GBV) and all harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child…

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Zimbabwe To Manufacture Praziquantel For Schistosomiasis Treatment

Michael Gwarisa

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and the China National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPD), will see Zimbabwe becoming a manufacturing powerhouse for Praziquantel, a drug used to treat Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever or bilharzia. By Michael Gwarisa This comes after Zimbabwe was selected to become the first country to benefit under the Africa-China Cooperation for the Elimination of Schistosomiasis program, which targets to capacitate African countries to manage and control the spread and infection of Bilharzia in communities.…

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Bilharzia in Zimbabwe wears a female face…Risk of HIV Infection three times higher in women with Bilharzia

Michael Gwarisa

It’s an early Monday morning, and Portia Guta (35), from Chibondo Village in Shamva District, Mashonaland Central Province, has just learned that she tested positive for Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia. Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, is an infection of the urinary tract or bowels, caused by Schistosoma (blood fluke), a flatworm parasite. By Michael Gwrisa in Shamva District Portia was among the participants who got screened for Schistosomiasis during a Pilot Study that was conducted to ascertain the magnitude of Schistosomiasis in the Shamva District. The Pilot project also assessed…

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Zimbabweans value funeral cover more than Medical Aid…Only 11 Percent Zimbabweans Have Medical Aid

Michael Gwarisa

The loss in value in the local currency to the greenback, has forced several Zimbabwean medical aid policyholders to terminate medical aid policies while some are resorting to removing some beneficiaries from cover as a survival strategy. By Michael Gwarisa These developments come at the back of revelations that a few Zimbabweans are currently under medical aid cover and yet, more people have up-to-date funeral policy coverage. A study that was conducted by Finmark Trust and published by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) revealed that just 30 percent of…

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Gender Inclusivity Celebrated at Wildlife Scouts Graduation in Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

A total of 28 community wildlife scouts drawn from Mbire and Muzarabani Districts graduated at the Zimbabwe Institute of Wildlife Conservation (ZIWC) in Masvingo following the completion of a basic ranger training course facilitated by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) under the ongoing Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded ‘UTARIRI – Integrated and Adaptive Biodiversity, Climate and Livelihoods Project in the Zambezi Valley, 2022-2025.’ By Staff Reporter Almost half of the graduates were women, signifying the importance of gender inclusion in developmental aspects, including the conservation of natural resources and…

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Address Youth Migration To Harness Demographic Dividend- Zim government told

Michael Gwarisa

THE rate at which migration is happening, especially in the young and middle-aged population, could cripple Zimbabwe’s economy when its population growth reaches below replacement levels, experts have warned. By Michael Gwarisa The call follows findings from the State of the World Population (SOWP) Report which was conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and shows that the world population has reached 8 Billion amidst indications that Zimbabwe is a youthful country, with more than 60 percent of the population under the age of 25. According to the UNFPA,…

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A Fruitful Marriage: Urban Voucher System Reduces Maternal Deaths in Harare’s Central Hospitals/Council Clinics

Michael Gwarisa

Like many women in high-density and peri-urban communities, Method Pagiwa (26), from Kuwadzana Phase in Harare, registered her pregnancy with the Antenatal Clinic at Rujeko Polyclinic in Dzivarasekwa, when she was seven months into her pregnancy. This, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards is not recommended as they prescribe that women in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, should seek ANC within four months (17 Weeks) of pregnancy. By Michael Gwarisa On July 7, 2023, Method started experiencing labor pains and her waters broke while she was on her…

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SOWP Report Findings a Wake-Up Call for Zim Government to Respect Women’s Bodily Autonomy

Michael Gwarisa

GOVERNMENT should allow women the power to make decisions regarding their own Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), a top Zimbabwe Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprises official has said. By Michael Gwarisa This was revealed during the launch of the 2023 State of the World Population Report (SWOP) in the Capital Harare. The report was conducted by the United National Population Fund (UNFPA) and revealed that while the world population has reached the 8 billion mark, more women and girls were still lagging in terms of access…

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As ICPD30 Beckons, Here Is How Zimbabwe Has Fared In Fulfilling Nairobi Summit Commitments

Michael Gwarisa

IN 2019, Zimbabwe joined the world in Nairobi, Kenya for the 25th International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (ICPD25). The week-long event aimed to strengthen partnerships and harness re-commitments in the continued empowerment of women, and young people and ensuring access to sexual reproductive health (SRH) services. By Michael Gwarisa Next year, 2024, the ICPD will mark 30 years since the ICPD Programme of Action was adopted in 1994 by 179 Member States in Cairo Egypt. The ICPD, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),…

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