Category: Features

Rescued From Drug Abuse and Dangerous Habits: Teenage Boy Pays Tribute To Chitungwiza Trust

Michael Gwarisa

AFTER completing his Ordinary ‘O’ Level studies in rural Chiweshe, Mitchele Nyanhi (19) was faced with the harsh realities of life as he could not secure any form of employment. Since both his parents are not gainfully employed, there was no one to take up the responsibility of sending him to any form of training so that he could either secure a job or start his own self-help project. By Michael Gwarisa With no employment prospects on the horizon, Mitchele found himself taking up Chikorokoza or artisanal mining where he…

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Exploring Depression and Mental Health In The Arts Sector

Michael Gwarisa

Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please contact The Friendship Bench on +263 78 484 5294, S.A.L.T Africa, +263 773 107 7781, For Youths By Youths, Harare & Mash West 263775462468 +263773238941, Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre +263273790238 HAVE you ever come across artwork or literature of the sad clown? The sad clown is one of the most well-known paintings out there and is a paradox that tries to bring out the hidden emotional trauma and sadness that is associated with…

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Four years of the Fast-Track cities project—what have we achieved and learned, and what is next?

Healthtimes

Implementation of the joint UNAIDS–International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) Fast-Track cities project started in 2018 under the management of UNAIDS and IAPAC, with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development. Recognizing the important role that cities play in achieving national and global HIV targets and in ending AIDS by 2030, the project aims to provide essential and strategic technical support to 15 high-burden cities to accelerate their HIV responses. Own Correspondent The 15 cities (Blantyre, eThekwini, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kingston, Kinshasa, Kyiv, Lagos,…

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The Nexus between Childhood Cancer and the Environment

Michael Gwarisa

AS the month of February draws to an end, it’s highly likely that the hype and noise around childhood cancer will die down as the world shifts focus towards other health issues on the calendar of events. Under normal circumstances, this should not be the case and we probably need to dedicate 365 days of each year God grants us to raise awareness and talk about childhood or pediatric cancers. By Michael Gwarisa It is thus imperative to remind each other that childhood cancer is real and if not detected…

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‘We Found Love In a Hopeless Place:’ The tale of a Young HIV Positive Zimbabwean Couple

Michael Gwarisa

THERE was once a very dark period in HIV and AIDS when an HIV diagnosis was equivalent to a death sentence. It was during those days when many lives both young and old, were lost to the ravenous AIDS pandemic owing to the absence of effective treatment regimens, stigma and discrimination against people with HIV, ignorance and negative attitudes from healthcare workers, among other factors. By Michael Gwarisa Throughout that period, finding love as an HIV positive person especially if your status was known to the public was a Sisyphean…

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Bias-driven travel bans are an ineffective response to variants

Healthtimes

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 1st February 2022-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The knee-jerk travel bans imposed late last year in response to Omicron were inconvenient for many – particularly given the holiday season. But they were also deeply destructive: separating families and loved ones; undercutting businesses and livelihoods; and causing further economic losses. By Linda Weaver While most countries have lifted the restrictions, the ripple effects will continue to be felt for months to come. And it is important that we understand the costs, so that we exercise greater care as we…

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Many countries struggle to provide chemotherapy drugs to their children; St. Jude wants to change that

Healthtimes

Charity Kawadza is often the one to tell parents there are no chemotherapy drugs available for their children at Parirenyatwa General Hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe. None in the whole country. Kawadza is a nurse and the health promotions coordinator with KidzCan Zimbabwe, a non-governmental organization that supports the hospital’s ward for children suffering from cancer. “You know children are fighters,” she said. “They can actually survive cancer. … And now you are left with explaining to the parent — some parents will take it and understand, but other parents will…

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Generation Health Joins the Cervical Cancer Awareness Movement

Healthtimes

Compliments of the new season! A time we plan for the year and what a better time to keep urging women to get screened for cervical cancer. According to the Lancet Journal, “each year, more than half a million women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and the disease results in over 300 000 deaths worldwide.” To bring it closer to home it accounts for close to one third of cancers in Black Zimbabwean women and is also the number one cause of cancer deaths in Zimbabwe. Caroline Mbofana – Dyirakumunda…

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Hope For Children With Hydrocephalus In Zimbabwe

Healthtimes

THE joys of expectant parents are shuttered upon hearing these words, “Your child has a bigger head than any normal child and you have to go through a caesarian section to give birth.’’ What! a big head? What could have caused the head to grow big, is it a normal child then, is it natural or spiritual, is it…? There are some of the unanswered questions, which go through the minds of heavily pregnant women. Own Correspondent Hydrocephalus is a very popular disease but seems to be wreaking havoc in…

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Faith and vaccination are not mutually exclusive

Michael Gwarisa
Members from various churches gather at the women and girls symposium

Religious leaders from the Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities in Kenya recently came out to support the government’s efforts to vaccinate the population against Covid-19. They called on their congregants to shun myths and misconceptions associated with the vaccine and to get vaccinated in order to better protect themselves from severe illness and hospitalisation as Kenya ramps up its vaccination efforts. This is an important step. And we need to see more of it across the continent. As in many other regions, religion plays a pivotal role in Africa. More…

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