Author: Michael Gwarisa

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

Scrap Import Duty and VAT on Condoms…Partners Plead With Gvt, As Zimbabwe Records 15 Million Condom deficit

Michael Gwarisa

RELIANCE on donor funding for the National Condom program, coupled with a restrictive tax regime has resulted in Zimbabwe failing to meet its condom obligation of 173 million condoms per year, a development that could reverse progress made so far in the HIV response, HealthTimes has learnt. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s national condom program comprise of public sector condoms, private sector condoms and Social Marketing condoms. However, increased donor fatigue has seen major donors such as the USAID and PEPFAR cutting their funding towards the procurement of public sector and…

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POTRAZ Advises Zim To Use SMS And Voice Network For Health Communication Interventions… Says majority of Zimbabweans still using generic phones

Michael Gwarisa

The Mobile Revolution is here and Zimbabwe just like many other countries in the world has progressed in ensuring access to mobile phone services is affordable by anyone regardless of economic background. In Zimbabwe, even horses have cell-phones and there are probably more mobile phones than there are toothbrushes in the world. By Michael Gwarisa The mobile phone is accessible in even the most remote areas of the world where often times access to clean water, medical personnel or health facilities do not exist. Mobile phone technology has a growing…

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Costly Hormonal Therapies Force Zim Trans Community To Get Shots from the streets

Michael Gwarisa

Teckler (31) is a transgender women from Highfields in Harare. Even though she was born a man, Tekcler says she had always struggled with the notion of waking up in a strange body every single day of her life. In her own words, she has always viewed herself as a woman and was always determined to be identified as one at some point in life. By Michael Gwarisa At the age of 20 when she enrolled in University in 2011, she once shocked her neighbourhood when she turned home for…

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Harare City Fathers Accused Of Dining In Luxury Hotels While Residents Drink Poop Water

Michael Gwarisa

FAILURE by the City of Harare to consistently provide safe drinking water to its residents could trigger another wave of waterborne Diarrhoeal diseases if Central Government does not intervene,Harare Residents have warned. By Michael Gwarisa This call follows revelations that one of the leading hotspots of Cholera in the capital, Budiriro has gone for three years without water while almost all residential areas are experiencing perennial water supply interruptions and having dirty water pumped into their homes. Residents in most wards in the Capital are now relying on shallow wells…

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South Africa’s Medical Association Throws Ramathuba Under The Bus

Michael Gwarisa

THE South African Medical Association (SAMA) has castigated Limpopo’s MEC for Health, Dr Phopi Ramathuba for behaving in an irresponsible and unethical manner following a leaked video in which she was telling a bed ridden Zimbabwean immigrant that she was part of the burden saddling South Africa’s health care system. By Staff Reporter In a statement, SAMA CEO Dr Vusumuzi Nhlapho said while they acknowledge that the healthcare system is currently struggling due to growing demand for services from both indigenous South Africans and immigrants, it was not in Dr…

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SADC Youth Helpline 393 Launched In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

IN a bid to bridge existing HIV information gaps and access to care for adolescents and young people, Youth Advocates Zimbabwe (YAZ), working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and the National AIDS Council (NAC) have launched the SADC Youth Helpline to facilitate dialogue and openness between healthcare service providers and young people. By Michael Gwarisa The 393 Youth Helpline national contact center will be piloted in three districts in the SADC region namely, Francistown in Botswana, Zomba in Malawi and Zvishavane in Zimbabwe. The project also…

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PSMAS Speaks On Rejecting Own Medical Aid Cards

Michael Gwarisa

THE Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) says they are still accepting PSMAS Medical aid cards in their health facilities but however indicated that service providers may charge varying co-payments and shortfalls depending on the service. By Michael Gwarisa This comes after several disgruntled PSMAS members had taken to social media expressing displeasure over the rejection of their medical aid cards by PSMAS health facilities. Some indicated that they were being requested to pay for services including admission in United States Dollars terms. The amount ranges from US$100 to US$250.00…

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Anyone can get monkeypox: STOP the stigma!

Michael Gwarisa

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on media not to use imagery and language that is stigmatising to key populations and Africans in their reportage on the ongoing monkeypox pandemic. The call comes in the midst of media reports that seem to be apportioning blame in the rise of monkeypox infections to sexual activities linked to the LGBTI community. Initial monkeypox reports also carried images of black Africans with monkeypox even though the first case was reported in the United Kingdom in May 2020. Speaking to Journalists during a…

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Make measles vaccination mandatory for Mapostori Children -VP Chiwenga told

Michael Gwarisa

HEALTH Policy and Public Health experts have advised health and child care Minister, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to act with speed and make measles vaccination mandatory in children from apostolic sects. By Michael Gwarisa This call comes in the midst of a sharp increase in new measles cases and deaths mainly in children between the ages 6 to 16 from apostolic religious sects, a development that has prompted government to activate the country’s Civil Protection Unit Act. Speaking to HealthTimes, Health Law Policy Expert, Mr Tinashe Mundawarara said the country’s…

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Gvt Urges Citizens To Take Up First AID Training…As Zim Records 5000 Workplace Accidents Annually

Michael Gwarisa

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Professor Paul Mavhima says First AID skills were critical in emergencies and it was crucial for every citizen to have basic first aid training. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking at the First Aid Breakfast Meeting that was hosted by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) in Harare, Minister Mavhima urged Red Cross to be more visible and to expand services beyond their usual catchment zones. There is need for all Zimbabweans to have basic knowledge of first aid given that emergencies are a daily…

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