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MOZAMBIQUE: MSF expands access to safe abortion care in Beira

January 23, 2024January 23, 2024 Michael Gwarisa

By Health Reporter Tuesday, January 23, 2024 — In Beira, a city on Mozambique’s central coast, Doctors Without Borders/MSF is connecting hard-to-reach communities with safe abortion care and other sexual and reproductive health services. Mozambique has one of Africa’s most liberal abortion laws, allowing abortion on request during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to 24 weeks in limited circumstances, including fetal abnormality. Though abortion has been legal since 2014, many people still face obstacles to accessing this care, including stigma, misinformation, and corruption, such as charging for…

A Glossary of Terms for a New World of HIV Care

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 Healthtimes

poz.com Scientific progress often means a slew of new vocabulary words. Novel treatments like long-acting injectables to treat HIV are no exception. Some of the terms below are highly technical; others will sound familiar but with a modern twist. Having a proactive conversation with your clinician about HIV treatment isn’t always easy. Brushing up on the terminology—old and new—can be empowering and help you better manage an important conversation about self-care. Antiretroviral therapy (also known as ART) is another, fancier name for your HIV medications. If you’re on HIV meds,…

When Religion Meets Cholera: Information Gaps Threaten Cholera Response In Marange

January 11, 2024January 11, 2024 Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa recently in Marange It’s 12:00 midnight, and two men knock at Cecilia Garira’s door. Cecilia is a famous Village Health Worker from the Johane Marange sect in Marange, Mfararikwa Village, who has volunteered to assist Cholera patients from her sect. The two men bear bad tidings. One of their members is critical and in need of help as he is exhibiting severe Cholera symptoms including dehydration. Cecilia doesn’t waste time. She packs her bag and joins the two men. Earlier in the day, the man in question…

Convicting Crystal Meth/Mutoriro Possession: Zimbabwe’s Biggest Legal Lacuna

January 9, 2024January 9, 2024 Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is experiencing a Drug and Substance abuse crisis. The drug epidemic is mainly affecting young people mostly males, even though the prevalence of females who use drugs is also rising. According to the 2022 Situation Assessment report of drug use in Zimbabwe, 58.47 percent of males use drugs in Zimbabwe, while females account for 40.59 percent. One drug that has wreaked havoc in Zimbabwe is Crystal meth, a common name for crystal methamphetamine, a strong and highly addictive drug that affects the central nervous system. There…

Zimbabwe’s Top 10 Exceptional Public Health Interventions and Innovations For 2023

December 23, 2023December 23, 2023 Healthtimes

Even though Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector is facing challenges, there remains some extraordinary work that the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), development partners, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and individuals are doing to enhance the quality care and services in Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector. Zimbabwe just like the rest of the world, is recovering from the effects of COVID-19, which to a greater extent disrupted public health interventions such as National Immunisation programs, vaccinations, and health promotion amongst a host of other interventions. Despite these challenges, Zimbabwe has innovated and come…

Idle Buildings Converted Into Life-Saving Oral Rehydration Points For Cholera Patients In Manicaland

December 21, 2023December 21, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Manicaland Almost 15 kilometers from Zvipiripiri Rural Clinic, Sekuru Ramson Nyatsanza* (79) from Nyangani Village Ward 16 in Mutare rural, is experiencing severe Cholera symptoms. He is vomiting profusely and the rice water-like diarrhoea is not stopping. Despite being a member of an Apostolic Sect that is known for prohibitin followers from seeking healthcare services, Sekuru Nyatsanza is determined to get help. His relatives carry him to an Oral Rehydration Point (ORP) that the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) through technical and financial support…

Fragile Health Systems Expose Africa To Untold Climate Change Disasters Says AMREF

December 11, 2023October 18, 2025 Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa For a long time, discourse on climate change has revolved around the effects of Climate Change on the environment in particular air pollution, an issue most prevalent in the Global North. Very little focus was being given to the impact of climate change on the health and well-being of the human population. However, for the first time in many years, African health Ministers and their counterparts from around the world converged in Dubai for the COP28 where they delivered a strong message regarding the impact climate change…

Africa CDC Establishes Platform To Boost Manufacturing Of Vaccines, Therapeutics and Diagnostics in Africa

December 1, 2023December 1, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Africa Centres for Diseases Control (Africa CDC), has established a new system, the Platform for Harmonised Africa Health Products Manufacturing (PHAHP), that will see the continent coordinating the manufacturing of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, a top Africa CDC official has said. While the continent has already made inroads regarding local manufacturing of vaccines following the setting of the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing of Vaccines (PAVM) in 2021, which sought to ensure Africa at least manufactures 60 percent of vaccines locall, the PHAHP platform seeks to…

Using alternatives to antimicrobials working for Murehwa poultry farmers

November 30, 2023October 2, 2024 Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere in Murehwa BEFORE her damascene moment in poultry care, Christine Muunganirwa, a 50 year old woman in Kambarami Village in Ward Murehwa district suffered significant losses. Whenever the chicks fell ill, whether it was a cough, or oddly coloured stool, she rushed to administer some Amoxicillin tablets. Amoxicillin is the most abused antibiotic not only in human health but also poultry. To rationalize the use of antimicrobials in chickens, some nifty poultry farmers in Murehwa district have resorted to using traditional herbal medicines in lieu of antibiotics.…