#COVID19 |

De-funding WHO Will Be Catastrophic- The Union Warns

April 16, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

THE International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) expressed its indignation at the decision by US President Trump to announce the suspension of its funding of the World Health Organization (WHO). The Union President,Professor Guy Marks said,“Undermining the WHO at a time when it is courageously leading the global coordination of the COVID-19 response is appalling public health policy. Infectious respiratory diseases know no borders and now is not the time to hinder global collaboration. The main game at present is to save lives, not to put them…

#JUSTIN: Wrong Time To Cut WHO Funding-UN Boss Warns

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

THE United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Mr Antonio Gutteres has warned the international community against pulling out financial resources from the World Health Organisation (WHO) at a time when the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. By Michael Gwarisa The call comes hours after United States President, Donald Trump announced that the US would be suspending funding WHO operations for allegedly siding with the Chinese government instead of handling the situation in a manner that would have seen the virus not spreading to other parts of the globe. In…

Mandatory SAZ Certification For Hand Sanitisers, Face Masks And All PPE Looms

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

THE Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) in collaboration with the government of Zimbabwe, are working on a new law that will make it compulsory for all producers of hand sanitisers, face masks, face shields and Protective Personal Clothing (PPE) to have their products certified before hitting the market. By Michael Gwarisa The move is set to improve products safety and trust among citizens amidst reports that some brands for examples Hand Sanitisers were endangering lives of users and in some cases highly flammable and damaging to the skin. In an…

Local Firm Produces Reusable Face Shields For Use During COVID-19

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

LOCAL medical consumables manufacturing and distribution firm, Medical Solutions Zimbabwe has embarked on an extensive production of Face Shields and personal protective equipment devices that are used by medical personal for protection of the facial area from splashes, sprays, and spatter of body fluids. By Michael Gwarisa According to American epidemiologists and physicians, Face Shields are more effective protection against the COVID-19 compared to face masks. Face shields are generally not used alone, but in conjunction with other protective equipment and are therefore classified as adjunctive personal protective equipment. In…

Trump Suspends Funding WHO For Mishandling COVID-19

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 Healthtimes

UNITED States President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a suspension of US funding to the World Health Organization because he said it had covered up the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak in China before it spread around the world. Trump told a press conference that he was instructing his administration to halt funding while “a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.” According to Trump, the WHO prevented transparency over the outbreak and the United States —…

Young People Struggle To Access ARVs During Lockdown

April 14, 2020April 14, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

YOUNG People Living with HIV have raised alarm over their struggle to access life saving Antiretroviral drugs and other key sexual reproductive health (SRH) services from health institutions during the lockdown period. By Michael Gwarisa A number of young people living with HIV told this publication that children and youths living with HIV risk defaulting on medication as they are struggling to access health institutions or get clearance past police checkpoints owing to the strict measures government adopted during the lockdown period. In most cases, police are not considering hospital…

Consult Before Extending Lockdwon, Health Experts Warn

April 14, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

PUBLIC health experts have called on President Emerson Mnangagwa to consult various stakeholders from all sectors before instituting a lockdown extension. By Michael Gwarisa Even though President Emmerson Mnangagwa has not announced any plans to extend the Lockdown, various sections of the economy believe an extension should not be a copy and paste scenario. Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) Executive Director, Mr Itai Rusike said the lockdown extension needs extensive consultations lest innocent lives will be endangered especially those who rely heavily on the informal sector. The lockdown extension…

#BREAKING: Bulawayo Records Increase In Community Transmissions Of COVID-19

April 13, 2020April 14, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

FOLLOWING government’s decentralisation of COVID-19 testing, Bulawayo seem to be recording an increased number of community transmissions mostly among contacts to the late case number 11. By Michael Gwarisa According to statistics from the Ministry of Health’s National Tuberculosis (TB) Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo, out of the six samples that were collected for testing, three turned out positive. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe now stand at 17. Case number 15 is a 34-year-old female resident of Bulawayo. She has no recent history of travel or known contact…

#COVID-19: Top ED Advisor Wants Health Minister Fired

April 11, 2020April 11, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

DEPUTY Chairman to Zimbabwe’s Presidential Advisory Council (PAC), Mr Trevor Ncube has called for health and Child care minister Dr Obadiah Moyo’s immediate resignation for exhibiting gross incopempetence in the face of a raging COVID-19 pandemic. By Michael Gwarisa The Covid-19 has already infected more than 1 million people globally and claimed close to 100 000 lives. In Zimbabwe, 13 confirmed cases have been recorded including three deaths. No complete recoveries have been reported as yet. Through his micro-blogging site, Mr Ncube said the health minister had failed the nation…

ZAN Calls For Strong COVID-19 Response Coordination

April 10, 2020 Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE AIDS Network says nothing is being said of people with pre-existing health conditions being described as most vulnerable to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). By Kudakwashe Pembere The Country’s Treasury boss, the Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said they are looking at vulnerable populations to hunger, poverty, with Government committing a ZWL$200 million kitty for one million vulnerable persons which is yet to be disbursed. Despite this move coming with noble intentions, nothing was said of securing the lives of the high risk population of COVID-19, people with underlying illnesses…