Category: BREAKING NEWS

#BREAKING: Tanzania’s Ndungile Lands WHO Afro Director Job

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Member of Parliament and Tanzania’s Medical Doctor, Dr Faustine Ndugulile has been elected the new Regional Director for Africa at the World Health Organization (WHO). He takes over from Dr Matshidiso Moeti, from Botswana, first woman to be elected to the position who had steered the ship for 10 years since 2015. Ndugulile is a Medical Doctor who specialized in Public Health and Medical Microbiology. Dr. Ndugulile joined politics in 2010 and he has been a Member of Parliament for Kigamboni Constituency in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania…

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Unpaid Care Work Widens Economic Gap For Women In Zimbabwe- Report

Healthtimes
Musa Hove Safaids hands over SOF Report to Minister Mutsvangwa

By Ntokozo Gudu A new report, the State of The Father Report shows that men in Zimbabwe participate in more financially rewarding work while women struggle with the burden of unpaid work. The report was launched in Harare by SAfAIDS in partnership with ADA partners, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises (MWACSMED) and Sonke Gender Justice in a bid to improve their understanding on the state of fathers towards unpaid care work project. Findings from the report reveal a widening care-giving gap, as women in Zimbabwe take…

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High Prevalence Of Syphilis in Divorced Zimbabweans-New Study

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere Zimbabwean individuals divorced, separated or widowed had high chances of contracting  active syphilis unlike the married or cohabiting couples, a study found. In a study published in The Lancet journal, it emerged the trend was not only common among Zimbabweans but Zambians and Ugandans as well. The study sought to ascertain the prevalence of syphilis in HIV positive and HIV negative persons in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2018. Divorced, separated, or widowed individuals had significantly higher odds of active syphilis in Uganda,…

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WHO-Afro Calls For Collaborative Cross-Border Surveillance for Mpox In Africa

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa While Mpox cases have been on a downward trend in most World Health Organisation (WHO) regions, the same cannot be said for Africa as cases have been increasing every month since the beginning of 2024. With over 99,000 laboratory-confirmed cases, and 208 deaths having been confirmed globally since January 2024, the total number of cases reported in 12 African countries as of August 18, 2024, according to the WHO Afro Region is 4,562 and 35 lab-confirmed deaths. WHO has since declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of…

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#JUSTIN: Africa CDC Declares Mpox A Public Health Emergency of Continental Security

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has officially declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), marking the first such declaration by the agency since its inception in 2017. This declaration, under Article 3, Paragraph F of the Africa CDC Statutes, empowers the organization to lead and coordinate responses to significant health emergencies. The statute mandates Africa CDC to “coordinate and support Member States in health emergency responses, particularly those declared PHECS or Public Health Emergency of International…

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Fake Nursing Certificates Flood Zim Market

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere The Nurses Council of Zimbabwe (NCZ) has hinted at introducing additional security features to the nursing practicing certificate to curb the proliferation of counterfeit certificates on the market. This development follows reports that some individuals were forging qualifications and some employers were only finding out their employees hold fake certificates after they would have failed to perform at work. The NCZ is the examiner starting from diploma courses in government nursing schools across the country. NCZ approves the curricula and training regulations for nurses/midwives training schools. The…

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#JUSTIN: Zimbabwe Ready To Respond To Mpox

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Following detection of a deadly Mpox variant in several countries in the African region, Zimbabwe has enhanced its diseases surveillance systems at all entry points in a bid to effectively respond to the disease, Public Health Advisor to the President, Dr Agnes Mahomva has said. Even though Zimbabwe is yet to record an Mpox case, the virus has been detected in more than 10 African countries namley the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Uganda,  Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa. Sequencing of…

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Zimbabwe’s Medical Helicopters To Be Operational By Year End

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The operationalization of air medical rescue services within Zimbabwe’s public health system is expected to be ‘up and flying’ by end of year starting with six helicopters across four provinces. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora told journalists on the sidelines of a handover ceremony where Russia donated cholera commodities at the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) that they trained some pilots for medical air evacuation. Already we have started operationalizing the air ambulance. We are going to start with six helicopters, which are already converted…

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#BREAKING: WHO Hints On Declaring Mpox Public Health Emergency Of International Concern

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned of a more deadly and highly infectious Mpox strain spreading across Africa and other parts of the world. This follows revelations that the mpox outbreak that has been raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the past several months might have spilled beyond the DRC borders. A report by science publication www.science.org shows that sequencing of the mpox viruses in three cases reported earlier this week in Uganda and Kenya has now confirmed…

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UNDP Hands Over 136 Vehicles To Zim’s Health Ministry

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), has handed over a total 136 vehicles to be used by Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) in the HIV response and disease outbreak response. The vehicles were purchased using savings from the efficiency gains fund in bis to support the gains made in the HIV field as well as strengthening Zimbabwe’s health system. From the 136 vehicles, National Aids Council (NAC) received 20 vehicles. Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare on Friday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr…

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