Category: BREAKING NEWS

Africa CDC and Africa Public Health Foundation Forge Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Health Systems

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Nairobi, Kenya. July 25, 2024 – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Africa Public Health Foundation (APHF) have signed an agreement to support strengthening health systems in Africa Union Member States. APHF was established to enable investments in public health activities that support Africa CDC’s goals and objectives across the continent. It’s main operational vectors include resource mobilisation, grants management, advocacy for improved policies, private sector engagement and contributing to the analysis of public health data. H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General…

Read More

Over 20 Zimbabwean MPs Appointed Into Global Parliamentary Platform on HIV and AIDS

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A new Global Parliamentary Platform on HIV and AIDS has been established at the ongoing International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany in a bid to build momentum to end AIDS ahead of the 2030 target. The new platform is set to provide the space, tools, and other resources to unite, strengthen, and amplify the leadership of parliamentarians committed to ending AIDS and new HIV transmissions. From Zimbabwe, over 20 Members of Parliament (MPs) mainly from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care led by Hon…

Read More

Zimbabwe Has Programs to Retain Medical Students — and That’s Exactly Why They’re Fleeing

Healthtimes

Gamuchirai Masiyiwa, Global Press Zimbabwe; Prudence Phiri, Global Press Zambia HARARE, ZIMBABWE and LUSAKA, ZAMBIA — At a nursing school in Zambia, many of the students aren’t from Zambia at all. Michael is one of them. “We are,” he says, “over 100 Zimbabweans in a class of 140 students.” More and more Zimbabwean students, like Michael, are pursuing their medical and nursing educations abroad, motivated by better study opportunities, bureaucratic challenges in Zimbabwe, and the rising demand for international health workers in countries like the United Kingdom and United States.…

Read More

UN urges Gilead to ‘make history’ with game-changing HIV drug

Healthtimes

Gilead could bring the AIDS pandemic towards an end if the US pharmaceutical giant opens up access to its game-changing new HIV drug, the head of UNAIDS told AFP. Winnie Byanyima urged Gilead to “make history” by allowing generic manufacturing of Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable antiretroviral medication used to treat HIV patients. She urged Gilead to open up Lenacapavir to the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool international organisation, whereby cheaper generic versions could be sold under licence in low- and middle-income nations. Whatever the financial rewards of creating Lenacapavir, the renown of being…

Read More

HIV vaccines tested in PrEPVacc fail to reduce infections

Michael Gwarisa

The results of the PrEPVacc HIV vaccine trial conducted in Eastern and Southern Africa, which ran between 2020 and 2024, show conclusively that neither of the two experimental vaccine regimens tested reduced HIV infections among the study population. Vaccinations in the PrEPVacc trial were stopped in November 2023 (and publicly announced in December 2023) when it became clear to independent experts monitoring the study data that there was little or no chance of the vaccines demonstrating efficacy in preventing HIV acquisition. The PrEPVacc vaccine trial results, announced today at AIDS…

Read More

Results Based Financing USD Component Returns Under Health Resilience Fund

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The Health Resilience Fund (HRF) is working on reviving the the United States Dollar (USD) component for the Results Based Financing (RBF) which had been halted in 2022 with US$5million already earmarked for disbursement across health facilities in Zimbabwe. This was said by UNICEF Health Systems Strengthening Health Manager, Mr Norest Hama recently at an HRF media briefing recently. The RBF is a financial facility allocated for covering other operational expenses. In the first quarter of 2022, there was an arrangement that saw government take up the…

Read More

“Ending AIDS is impossible if we do not prioritize children” – EGPAF

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter MUNICH, GERMANY – 22 July 2024 – The UNAIDS Global Report, “The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads,” released today, says “ending AIDS as a public health threat is achievable by 2030 but that success is being threatened by pushes to reduce funding and to restrict human rights.” Challenges faced by children living with HIV are among the most significant threats to progress. “The report clearly shows that truly ending AIDS is impossible if we do not prioritize children,” said Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)…

Read More

Dr Agnes Mahomva Appointed to WHO Afro’s Emergencies Technical Advisory Group

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s Public Health Advisor to the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva together with 16 other African health leaders have been appointed to the African Region, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa Emergency Preparedness & Response Technical Advisory Group (EPR-TAG). The independent body serves as the principal advisory group to WHO AFRO for strategic guidance on all matters pertaining to public health emergency preparedness and response. The EPR Technical Advisory Group will support WHO African Member States to fortify health security in the face of…

Read More

US Government to hold talks with Zim for sustainable condom programming funding

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The United States Government will hold talks with the Zimbabwean Government pending the withdrawal of condom programming support via the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2026. Public sector condoms in Zimbabwe are mainly funded via PEPFAR which occupies the majority of the market share at 77 percent followed by social marketing condoms with 22 percent and the private sector having 1 percent. While condom programming remaining a core component of the five UNAIDS preventive pillars, the new US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont at…

Read More

Zim’s Health Ministry moots National Public Health Institute

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere Efforts are underway to establish a National Public Health Institute (NPHI) for Zimbabwe to help avert and manage epidemics and pandemics in the country, a senior government official said on Friday. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said this while addressing the Health development partners’ coordination forum meeting. Furthermore, the ministry is in the process of establishing a national institute for public health to assist government in the prevention and control of pandemics,” he said. The NHPI, he said, is being established with support from…

Read More