Michael Gwarisa |

Merck Foundation together with African First Ladies mark “World Heart Day 2022” by providing 720 scholarships of Preventative Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Endocrinology for doctors from 45 countries

September 29, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

Merck Foundation in partnership with African First Ladies and Ministries of Health provided more than 720 scholarships of one–year Post–Graduate Diploma and two–year Master Degree in Preventative CardiovascularMedicine, Diabetes and Endocrinology to doctors from 45 countries in Africa, Asia and beyond. These scholarships are included in the total 1450 scholarships Merck Foundation provided to doctors from 47 countries in 32 critical and underserved medical specialties such as oncology, fertility, respiratory medicine, acute medicine, orthopaedic and many more. Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany marks “World Heart Day…

ICASA Team Jets into Zimbabwe to Assess Country’s Preparedness To Host ICASA Conference In 2023

September 29, 2022September 29, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

THE International Conference of AIDS and STIs Africa (ICASA) Executive Board is currently in the country on a mission to assess Zimbabwe’s capacity to host the 2023 ICASA conference. By Michael Gwarisa This follows Zimbabwe’s bid at the 2021 International AIDS Conference that was held in Montreal Canada where Zimbabwe among five other African countries, threw their names in the hat to be considered for hosting the prestigious conference. From the five countries that submitted, only Zimbabwe and Kenya have made it to the top two countries. According to ICASA…

Chipinge Broken Homes and Blended Families Give Rise Mental Health challenges in adolescents and children

September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

WHEN his parents divorced in 2016, Panashe Dzvivu (19) from Chipinge urban, was doing form three and preparing to write his Ordinary level (O level) examinations the following year. Following the divorce, his father went into neighbouring South Africa and never looked back, leaving him under the custody of his unemployed mother. After some time, he was forced to drop out of school due to non-payment of school fees. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Chipinge Panashe was forced to juggle between school and a part welding job to pay for…

Infertility on the rise in Zimbabwean Men

September 26, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

THERE is currently an increase in infertility in Zimbabwe owing to a myriad of factors ranging from anatomical, environmental, dietary/weight and physiological factors, reproductive health experts have warned. By Michael Gwarisa Infertility, which is defined clinically as failure to conceive after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse affects approximately 48.5 million couples globally. Data from a cross section study by consultant Obstetrician, Dr Mugove Madziyire et al which explored “The causes of infertility in women presenting to gynaecology clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe” shows that half of the causes…

Zimbabwe Health Journalists Trained On Sensible Infertility Reporting

September 22, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWE’S First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in partnership with the Merck Foundation and the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), hosted a half day training to sensitise Zimbabwean Journalists on issues around fertility and infertility. By Michael Gwarisa The development comes in the midst of a growing burden in fertility related complications in both women and men in Sub-Saharan Africa largely driven by lifestyle related health conditions and Non Communicable diseases (NCDs). Giving her remarks during the training, Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Dr Rasha Kelej said there were numerous risk…

ICRC Concerned By Effects Of Food Crises In Africa

September 22, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

THE International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) has scalped efforts to avert to devastating effects of food security in Africa where 146 million people1 are suffering from acute food insecurity (IPC 3 and above) and require urgent humanitarian assistance. By Staff Reporter In a statement, Patrick Youssef, the Regional Director, Africa ICRC and Mohammed Omer Mukhier Regional Director, Africa IFRC said, “At a time of intense global humanitarian need and competing demands, Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing one of the most alarming food crises in decades. 146 million people1…

#BREAKING: Cervical Cancer Self Testing Solution Launched

September 21, 2022September 23, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

Every year, over 604,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with cervical cancer and approximately 342,000 die from this preventable disease, caused by infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV). 1 Nearly 9 out of 10 women who die from cervical cancer live in low- and middle-income countries.2 For patients living in areas with limited healthcare resources, increasing access to screening and decreasing barriers to sample collection are keys to ultimately preventing this disease. Roche’s HPV self-sampling solution expands access to HPV screening options by enabling patients to privately collect their sample while at…

Zim Maternal Mortality Ratio Declines Further

September 20, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

THE number of maternal deaths per live births, multiplied by a conventional factor of 100,000, also known as Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), has declined to 363 per 100,000 live births in births in Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa This indicates a 6% decline from the previous 2012 MMR ratio of 525. Presenting Preliminary Findings on Mortality from the 2022 Population and Housing Census, Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) Director General, Dr Taguma Mahonde said, “It should be noted that maternal deaths were reported by households and not by place of occurrence.…

Musasa One Stop Centre Assists 500 GBV Survivors

September 20, 2022September 20, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

THE Hopley One Stop Centre being run by Musasa Project through support from the UNFPA and the ministry of Women Affairs, Community Development, has served a total 500 women and girls who experienced GBV and other forms of violence over the past 10 months. By Michael Gwarisa Hopley has a high incidence of GBV as well as other harmful practices such as Child Marriages and teenage pregnancies which are at 18% respectively while 70% of women in Hopley are mothers by age 24. Speaking during a visit to centre by…

New UNFPA Regional Director Tours Tariro Clinic and Youth Centre in Hopely

September 20, 2022September 20, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

RECENTLY appointed United Nations Population Fund East and Southern Africa (UNFPA-ESA) Regional Director, Ms Lydia Zigomo Nyatsanza who is in the country on a mission visit, has applauded Tariro Clinic and Youth Centre for coming through to offer a range of healthcare services as well as life-skills training to vulnerable groups in Hopley. By Michael Gwarisa Tariro Clinic and Youth Centre was born out of a 2017 partnership between the UNFPA, ILO, Lafarge Holchim Cement and the City of Harare which aims to improve sexual reproductive health (SRHR) outcomes of…