Category: BREAKING NEWS

UZ Launches Mental Health Programme

Healthtimes

THE University of Zimbabwe has launched the Support Comprehensive Care and EmpowErment (SUCCEED), a mental health project for the people with psychological disabilities in Africa. By Patricia Mashiri The program is being implemented in four Sub-Saharan countries namely Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Malawi in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicines (LSHTM). Speaking during the launch of SUCCEED, Epiphania Munetsi, SUCCEED Programs Manager said the program came as a way to help and include psycho-social disabled people in the society. Develop an evidence-based package of multi-sectoral…

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Can A Vaccinated Person Still Get Infected With COVID-19?

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE kicked off the COVID-19 vaccination programme on 18 February, 2021, aiming to protect its citizens. The vaccine is open to all aged 18 and above and is accessible free of charge. Citizens must check with their nearest health facility to see where they can access the vaccine in their neighborhood. Catherine Murombedzi Health Correspondent Like all new innovations, the pace was slow at the beginning. As at April 16, 2021, a total 35 806 people had been vaccinated, with the protection programme gathering momentum, 135 new local infections from…

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Zimbabwe COVID-19 Case Fatality Among The Highest In The World-Expert

Michael Gwarisa

IN as much as Zimbabwe’s deaths from COVID-19 are relatively lower than those being recorded in other parts of the world, indications on the ground are that there is a high possibility that whoever gets infected has a greater chance of succumbing to the virus. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking to Journalists, Immunologist and Public Health expert, Dr Tinashe Gede said the country has of late been battling highly virulent COVID-19 strains, hence the high case fatality. On a relative scale, as a Continent, Africa has been relatively spared in terms…

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WORRYING NEWS: Only Half Of People Requiring Insulin Have Access To It 100 Years After Its Discovery

Healthtimes

THE international medical humanitarian organisation, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) welcomed the launch of the ‘Global Diabetes Compact’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) today and stressed the need to speed up the availability of more quality-assured sources of human insulin so that everyone in need can access this lifesaving medicine, especially people in low- and middle-income countries where the most people struggle to access insulin. Access to insulin is also critical in the context of COVID-19, considering that people with diabetes have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. Insulin…

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Vaccine Hesitancy Stands In The Way Of Zim’s Herd Immunity Target

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) says even though numbers of people who are now taking the vaccine have increased, the hesitancy that characterized the initial stages of national vaccination program might have slowed down progress towards inoculating 60% of the population that is required to achieve herd immunity. By Michael Gwarisa Herd immunity, or community immunity, is when a large part of the population of an area is immune to a specific disease. If enough people are resistant to the cause of a disease, such as a…

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Drug Abuse Threatens Zimbabwe’s Future Economic Prospects-Experts

Healthtimes

THE prevailing substance abuse scourge in Zimbabwe could have a long term impact on the country’s economic development as more young people of productive age are getting hooked on drugs owing to a myriad of factors chief among them being the economic induced hardships and idleness. By Patricia Mashiri In an interview with HealthTimes, leading Psychologist, Dr Kudakwashe Muchena, said  there was need for communities to work with the government to win the fight against drug abuse that has reared its ugly head over the few years and has been…

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Nearly Half Of All Women Are Denied Their Bodily Autonomy, Says new UNFPA report

Healthtimes

NEARLY half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to decide whether to have sex with their partners, use contraception or seek health care, according to UNFPA’s 2021 flagship State of World Population report, released today. By Staff Reporter According to the UNFPA report, the lack of bodily autonomy has massive implications beyond the profound harms to individual women and girls: potentially depressing economic productivity, undercutting skills, and resulting in extra costs to health care and judicial systems. Through the groundbreaking report, UNFPA is measuring both women’s…

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Boarding Students Not Allowed To Travel Home For Independence Holiday

Healthtimes

THE Zimbabwean cabinet has resolved that boarding school learners should not travel back home over the Independence holiday as a way of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Tanaka Moyo Speaking during a press briefing Monica Mutsvangwa, the Minister of Information and broadcasting services said the COVID-19 confirmed cases at Sacred High School were under control as it was easily detected. Last week’s outbreak at Sacred Heart School in Umzingwane District of Matabeleland South Province was easily detected and dealt with. Out of the 248 students and 33…

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NBSZ Sets 97,000 Units Blood Collection Target For 2021

Michael Gwarisa
Epharaim Mubayi

THE National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is targeting to collect an ambitious 97,500 units of blood for the year 2021 despite ongoing COVID-19 induced challenges. By Michael Gwarisa The  target also comes in the face at a time the blood bank is recovering from a dry period whereby  reserves from blood banks branches around the country had been struggling to maintain normal blood stocks  of at least least five days due to travel restrictions that saw most donors failing to access blood clinics to donate blood in the first…

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Sally Mugabe Hospital Safely Delivers 3000 Babies In 2021 First Quarter

Healthtimes

SALLY Mugabe Central Hospital (Harare Hospital) has since beginning of the year 2021 to date delivered a total 3000 babies. HealthTimes Reporter In a brief interview, Harare Hospital Chief Executive, Dr Christopher Pasi said the Hospital’s quality of service had greatly improved. I am happy to say that since that February up to now, in terms of clinical care that we are giving to people, its juts going up in leaps and bounds. We are helping people; we have delivered almost 3000 babies in the first quarter of this year.…

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