Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Ministry of Health to deploy advanced AI Tool for TB detection

Michael Gwarisa

AT a time the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare has grown across the globe, the Ministry of Health and Child (MoHCC) is set to launch a Computer-Aided Detection Artificial Intelligence tool (CAD AI), to screen for Tuberculosis (TB). By Michael Gwarisa The move comes at a time Zimbabwe is making headway towards addressing the TB burden as evidenced by the country’s removal from the world’s top 30 list of countries heavily burdened by TB. Zimbabwe now has a double burden of TB/HIV and MDR-TB. In an interview with…

Read More

CIMAS rolls out smoking cessation program to help those trying to quit smoking

Michael Gwarisa

IN a bid to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with smoking combustible cigarettes, CIMAS Medical Aid Society has rolled out a three month long smoking cessation program to allow smokers to gradually quit smoking. By Michael Gwarisa The program is covered under CIMAS Medical Aid drug and substance abuse rehabilitation package and will see smokers accessing nicotine through patches that deliver nicotine without combustion or burning. Speaking during a virtual meeting to mark World Drug and Substance Abuse Awareness day, Tinashe Katikiti, Highlands Wellness Clinical Psychologist and General Manager said…

Read More

New opportunities to reduce tobacco-related death and disease must not be wasted – harm reduction is the focus at the Global Forum on Nicotine in Warsaw

Michael Gwarisa

● 10th edition of Global Forum on Nicotine taking place in Polish capital next week; ● Sessions focus on the opportunities and challenges of tobacco harm reduction, including the scientific evidence around safer nicotine products and their appropriate regulation; ● 70 international experts, including people who have quit smoking through switching to safer nicotine products, will address hundreds of delegates from over 80 countries; ● Open to all, the conference is also streaming selected sessions online free, with simultaneous Spanish and Russian translations. The tenth annual Global Forum on Nicotine…

Read More

Shot In The Arm For Pensioners As NSSA Unveils Health Centre

Michael Gwarisa

It is a Thursday afternoon and Simon Kanenga (75) a pensioner from Masvingo,smiles to himself in anticipation of a new lease of life from the National Social Security Authority (NSSA). By Edward Makuzva The authority has announced that it is in the process of setting up pensioners’ mobile clinics in its six regions which include Kanengas’ area. However, Kanengas’ smile is shortlived when he remembers that he had just buried his childhood friend from diabetes. Again,its been years since he has also been diagnosed with the same disease and has…

Read More

Zim Health facilities beef-up security As thieves ransack solar systems

Michael Gwarisa

Some hospitals and clinics across the country have been left counting their losses following a spate of vandalism of solar components by daring thieves. By Michael Gwarisa The thieves are targeting mainly solar panels, inverters, gel and lithium batteries that were installed across 1045 health facilities in Zimbabwe, through a Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Solar for Health project being supported by the UNDP-Global Fund initiative. The solar systems are 5kW, 7kW, 10kW or 40kW, depending on the size of the facility and energy requirements to power specific…

Read More

Leading Medical Aid discontinues ZimDollar payments

Michael Gwarisa

Masca Medical Aid Society has informed its members of the discontinuation of direct payments to Pharmacies for members with Zimbabwean Dollar Schemes. By Staff Reporter In the communique, the Masca said this move was necessitated by the prevailing economic environment. Due to the persistently high volatility of the ZWL exchange rate, we regret to inform you that we will be discontinuing the direct Zimbabwe dollar payments to pharmacies for drug claims effective 15 June 2023 till further notice. This decision has been made after careful consideration of the current economic…

Read More

Rehabilitation dilemma for Zim’s poor Drug and Substance Addicts

Michael Gwarisa

Zimbabwe is struggling to offer proper drug abuse rehabilitation services with majority of patients currently being admitted in psychiatric units in public health institutions which in most cases, are ill equipped to provide drug abuse rehabilitation services. By Michael Gwarisa In 2022, data from the Ministry of Health and Child Care indicated that 75 percent to 85 percent of bed occupancy in mental health institutions was due to substance use. Information gathered by this publication recently reveals that public health facilities are struggling to deal with the swelling numbers of…

Read More

UNESCO launches second phase of flagship Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future Programme across sub-Saharan Africa

Michael Gwarisa

UNESCO in collaboration with ministries of education and health from 33 Sub-Saharan African countries, is launching the second phase of the landmark Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O 3) Programme. As the largest school-based programme on education for health and well-being in Africa, the ambitious O3 Programme plans to equip 44 million adolescents and young people with good quality, accurate, and rights-based sexuality education, and school violence prevention programmes. The programme aims to build adolescents and young people’s agency to make healthier and informed decisions about their health and…

Read More

Frequent Sex Increases Conception Chances In Couples Battling Infertility-Dr Mocanu

Michael Gwarisa

PROLONGED exposure to the sperm or male sex cell, reduces chances of infertility, in the process increasing a woman’s chances of conceiving, a top fertility expert has said. By Michael Gwarisa This comes amidst indications that couples mainly from Sub Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe included, are increasingly experiencing infertility challenges with global data showing that approximately 48.5 million couples globally are affected by infertility. Infertility is defined clinically as failure to conceive after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Speaking during a virtual press conference to mark World Infertility…

Read More

Zimbabwe’s Health Sector Goes Green with Solar Powered Electronic Health Records

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), is rolling out “Impilo,” an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, which is meant to improve efficiency in the health sector through enhancing data collection, management, patients’ care as well as improve communication between health practitioners and patients. By Michael Gwarisa According to the Ministry of Health, they intend to have fully deployed the system in the entire healthcare sector by December 2023. The roll-out of the Impilo is being supported by key specialized systems like the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), the…

Read More