#COVID19 |

Governments Must Demand Pharma Make All COVID-19 Vaccine Licensing Deals Public Says MSF

November 11, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

AFTER the worrying terms of a deal struck between pharmaceutical corporation AstraZeneca and Brazilian public research body Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) were disclosed recently, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) called on governments to urgently demand transparency from pharmaceutical corporations on all COVID-19 vaccine licensing agreements, as well as clinical trial costs and data, especially considering the billions of dollars of public, taxpayer money that have gone towards the development of these potential vaccines. Fiocruz took an important step towards more transparency by publishing online the license agreement with AstraZeneca to produce…

Buses Bringing Zimbabweans From SA Should Get Clearance From Zim Consulate First- Cabinet

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

BUS operators involved in repatriation of Zimbabwean nationals from South Africa are now required to obtain clearance from the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town and Johannesburg two days before departure. By Michael Gwarisa Briefing Journalists during a post cabinet media briefing, Information and broadcasting services minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said, “In order to enable the smooth flow of returnees at the Beitbridge Border Post, the Embassy of Zimbabwe in South Africa has drawn up Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). All bus operators involved in the repatriation of Zimbabwean nationals from South…

UNAIDS Donates Hygiene Kits To People Living With HIV

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 Healthtimes

THE United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)together with Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (RB) have donated 10 000 hygiene kits to people living with HIV(PLWHIV) to protect and safeguard people living with HIV from the Corona virus. The donation has been made through the Zimbabwe National Network of PLWHIV (ZNNP+). By Patricia Mashiri This donation comes after the realisation that basic hygiene kits form part of the essential commodities necessary in the prevention and fight against COVID-19 and other ailments especially now that the country has relaxed lockdown regulations. Identified 10,000…

Doctors Without Border (MSF) Challenges COVID-19 Myths With New Quiz Challenge App

November 9, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

A new app that encourages people to behave safely if someone in their family or community catches COVID-19 has been launched by international medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in association with software developer Pixel Impact. HealthTimes Taking the form of an interactive quiz challenge, users of the COVID Challenge app are presented with a range of colourfully illustrated scenarios and given a choice of ways to respond. The topics covered are practical and wide-ranging, including how to interact with someone with COVID symptoms, how to share a…

Zimbabwe Opens School Classes Despite Increase in New COVID-19 Infections

November 9, 2020 Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE today, November 9, 2020 resumes all school classes from Early Childhood Development (ECD) up to Advanced level in line with government set schedule. HealthTimes Brief The resumption of classes however comes at a time Zimbabwe is recording increased cases of COVID-19 with majority of them being local transmissions. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) daily COVID-19 update of November, 8, 2020, recovery rate has dropped from a high of 95% in the past few weeks to 93%, with daily infection rate rising to 5.6% 33…

WHO Director Pins Hope On Biden Presidency To Restore Relations With The US

November 8, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreysus believes the United States of America (USA) President-Elect, Joe Biden’s election into office could restore relations between the health organization and the US government which soured in April, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Michael Gwarisa Through his official twitter account, Dr Tedros said he was looking forward to working with the newly elected leaders. Congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. My WHO colleagues and I look forward to working with you and your…

A Resurgence Of COVID-19 Cases Is Possible In Zimbabwe

November 8, 2020November 8, 2020 Healthtimes

THE COVID-19 pandemic reached its peak between July and August in Zimbabwe, and since then the daily numbers of reported cases have considerably come down. As of 7 November 2020, the country has reported a cumulative 8498 cases, with 7995 recoveries and 251 deaths, with 27 new cases having been confirmed in the past 24 hours. By Dr Grant Murewanhema The epi-curve for Zimbabwe has been quite different from what has been experienced in South Africa, Europe and America. We are grateful because with certainty, Zimbabwe would have been unable…

Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU) Throws Lifeline to underprivileged Communities Amidst Covid 19 Pandemic

November 5, 2020 Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU), a local private university has synergized with the University of Zimbabwe, Women’s University in Africa as well as international universities from the United Kingdom, University of Nottingham and University of Wolverhampton towards low cost COVID-19 alleviating solutions. HealthTimes Reporter These universities will work closely with a local NGO, the National Age Network of Zimbabwe, to come up with various solutions targeting the less privileged communities as they leverage on ZEGU’s low cost COVID-19 innovations. The project which is being funded through the UKRI’s GCRF/Newton Fund…

Sexual Gender Based Violence Linked To High Unsafe Abortions in Zimbabwe

November 5, 2020November 5, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

HIGH cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) have been linked to an increase in cases of unsafe and illegal abortions by young girls and women in Zimbabwe, a top government official has said. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking at the Health and Wellness Day that was organized by the Women Action Group (WAG) in Mabvuku, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprise Development Provincial Development Officer Mr Ernest Chimbodza said Zimbabwe was losing lives of young women and girls to unsafe abortions every year. Ladies and gentlemen,…

MOZAMBIQUE: Hundreds of thousands displaced now at risk of malaria & COVID-19, urgent assistance needed

November 3, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

BY now over 400,000 people from Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado have been displaced according to government estimates announced last week. After fleeing violence from ongoing attacks by armed groups and military actions from Mozambican forces, these displaced people now face serious health risks and inadequate living conditions. “Approximately 10,000 displaced people arrived by boat to the provincial capital of Pemba last week alone,” said Joaquim Guinart, Cabo Delgado Project Coordinator for the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF). “They were dehydrated. Women gave birth at sea.…