Category: BREAKING NEWS

Impala Car Rental Comes Through For Saujeni, Young Man Living With Disability

Michael Gwarisa

IMPALA Car Rental through its Alfred Dondo Foundation continue to give back to the community following a donation of a wheel chair and groceries to 20 Year old Mike Saujeni who got paralyzed at a tender age. HealthTimes Reporter Saujeni, an aspiring musician is born in a family of four with all other siblings suffering from a different disabilities. In the absence of a wheel chair, the young man suffered as he sued to crawl to get into the toilet and do some things at home. His mother Anne Mangadze…

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Zim Still Stuck With Archaic Termination Of Pregnancy Law

Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWE  this week joined the rest of the world in commemorating the Safe Abortions day albeit the country is still operating under a 43-year-old Termination of Pregnancy ACT which prevents women from accessing safe abortion at health institutions even though evidence suggests that majority of the country’s maternal deaths are as a result of haemorrhaging due to unsafe abortions, a legal expert has said. By Michael Gwarisa The country’s existing Termination of Pregnancy Act (TOP ACT V (No. 29  of 1977) was adopted in 1977 and only permits women to…

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ZICHIRE’s Safe Spaces Program Rescues UMP & Mudzi Women Who Experienced GBV During Lockdown

Michael Gwarisa

THE Zimbabwe Community Health Intervention Research (ZICHIRE) is implementing a program dubbed the “Safe Spaces” program in Mudzi and Uzumba, Maramba and Pfungwe (UMP) with the aim of empowering women who experienced Gender Based Violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. By Michael Gwarisa The humanitarian project is also aimed at capacitating and building resilient communities so as to prevent abuse at grassroots level. In an interview with HealthTimes, ZICHIRE Programs Manager, Mr Walter Chikanya said empowering women economically was one sure way of reducing GBV. The program that we…

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Mudariki Appointed New ZAN National Coordinator

Michael Gwarisa

THE Zimbabwe AIDS Network (ZAN) board has appointed Mr Godfrey Mudariki as the organisation’s new national coordinator commencing October 1, 2020. HealthTimes Reporter Mr Mudariki has more than 14 years in Public Health Planning, Implementation, monitoring and evaluation working for and with local and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). He has served with various organisations including the National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), Concern Worldwide, OPHID Trust, Partners in Health (PACT Project -USA), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Management Sciences for Health (USA), Clinton Health Access Initiative, Compre Health Services, Population…

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Masvingo, Chiredzi Sees Spike in STI Infections In Adolescent Girls During COVID-19

Michael Gwarisa

AS government continues to ease COVID-19 restrictions, health institutions in Masvingo urban and Chiredzi district have started witnessing a surge in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) amongst young girls aged between 13 and 24, HealthTimes can reveal. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Masvingo The increase in new STI infections according to the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), has been driven largely by travel and tight lockdown restrictions which characterized the initial stages of the lockdown period, a period where access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services was disrupted. In…

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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic UNFPA and partners call for greater efforts to ensure access to contraceptives for women and girls

Michael Gwarisa

IN the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic and on World Contraception Day, the UN’s reproductive health and rights agency – the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners have called for greater efforts to ensure access to contraceptives for women and girls of reproductive age. This is towards “Zero unmet Need for Contraception” even during emergency and humanitarian situations. HealthTimes Reporter World Contraceptive Day is commemorated each year on 26 September. Launched in 2007, the day was set aside to help raise awareness on contraception to enable young people…

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LafargeHolcim Signs Landmark Pledge To Reduce Global Carbon Footprint

Healthtimes

LafargeHolcim, the holding company for local cement manufacturer Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe, joins the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) “Business Ambition for 1.5°C,” becoming the first global building materials company to sign the pledge with intermediate targets for 2030, validated by SBTi[1]. This commitment builds on LafargeHolcim’s leadership in green construction with cutting-edge solutions such as ECOPact, its green concrete, and Susteno, its leading circular cement. As a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe fully subscribes to this commitment. HealthTimes Reporter In its 2030 goals, LafargeHolcim is further lowering its target…

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Faith and Community Initiative Launched To Accelerate Attainment Of HIV Epidemic Control In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

THE Faith and Community Initiative (FCI) project, a programme which is aimed at scaling-up community and faith responses, which are central to achieving the 95–95–95 global treatment target and the PEPFAR goals focusing on impact, efficiency, sustainability, partnership, and human rights. By Michael Gwarisa The initiative is being supported by PEPFAR and USAID and the Organization for Public Health Interventions and Development (OPHID) and implementing partners, Zimbabwe Association of Church Related Hospitals (ZACH), Family Aids Caring Trust – FACT Zimbabwe and AFRICAID are launching the Faith and Community Initiative FCI)…

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Health Ministry Orders UZ To Suspend Specialist Training For Doctors

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has directed the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) to suspend the Masters of Medicine and Masters of Obstetrics and Gynecology programmes with immediate effect. HealthTimes Reporter In a letter written to the Dean, Faculty of Medecine and Health Science by the University of Zimbabwe’s Registrar, Dr Noah Mutongoreni, he said the new development was a followup to the communication from the MoHCC. “Following communication from the MoHCC to the effect that Registrar’s enrolled for the UZ’s Masters of Medicine and Masters of Obstetrics…

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Zim Young People Living With HIV Forced To Bribe Hospital Staff To Get Second Line Drugs, Told To Produce Empty ARVs Containers At Security Checkpoints To Prove They Are HIV+ During Early Stages Of Lockdown

Michael Gwarisa

LIFE under the COVID-19 induced lockdown has never been the same since the day the Zimbabwean government announced a nationwide lockdown which commenced on March 30, 2020. For most young people living with HIV and on treatment, the emotional scars the lockdown has inflicted on them will take time to heal, as they had to surrender some of their rights and dignity just to access lifesaving Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. By Michael Gwarisa For 22-year-old Takudzwa who lives in Harare and on second line Antiretroviral (ARVs) treatment, accessing HIV treatment under…

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