Category: Features

Coping with Retrenchment; A Mental Health Perspective

Michael Gwarisa

RETRENCHMENTS in Zimbabwe are expected to hit record numbers as a result of economic disruption from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to disrupt the global economy, many employers worldwide are left with no choice but to reduce staff in order to cut costs and survive.  By Dr Kudakwashe C Muchena Zimbabwe is not immune to this as is already seen in the Hospitality and Entertainment industries. In response to this predicted wave of retrenchments, this article seeks to give a mental health…

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Blood Recipient Turned Blood Donor…How Nobuhle’s Labour Encounter Turned Her Into A Blood Donating Hero

Michael Gwarisa
Nobuhle Magava

HEROES come in different packages. Some come wielding lethal shiny semi-automatic AK47 rifles and whatever latest weaponry that may be at their disposal. For some, all it takes is just a few minutes of their time and a little prick from a needle to save many lives through donating the precious liquid of blood. By Michael Gwarisa For Nobuhle Magava(45), her experience giving birth to her first child was her Damascene moment, an epiphany that made her change her perception about giving blood for the rest of her life. After…

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How Zim Quarantine Centres Have Become Drivers Of COVID-19 Infections

Healthtimes

CONSIDERING that Zimbabwe’s single most potent Covid19 threat has been from returnees, more effort should have been directed towards containment of the disease from those coming in. This includes a systemic process of testing and monitoring of those returning, and gradual reintegration into their communities. By Munyaradzi Madziwa The same measures being enforced amongst the general populace such as protective masks, sanitising and social distancing should apply to the returnees. Further than that returnees must be monitored daily for clinical signs and symptoms which might signal Covid-19 infection. In my…

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I Am Ready For The Task Says New NAC Chief Executive Officer

Michael Gwarisa

GOVERNMENT recently appointed Dr Bernard Madzima as the National Aids Council’s (NAC) new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) after the organisation had gone for a year and three months  without anyone at its helm. Before his appointment, Dr Madzima served as Director in the Family Health department under the ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) for eight years, where he coordinated the country’s sexual and reproductive health, the family planning, as well as the cervical cancer programs. To ensure the organisation moves forward, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah…

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Respecting The Dignity Of Disabled Persons During Pandemics…A Closer Look At UNESCO’S Interventions In The Zim COVID-19 Battle

Michael Gwarisa

ACCORDING to the World Health Organisation (WHO), close to three million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded globally. To date, more than a hundred thousand deaths have also been reported on a global scale. As at 26 April 2020, Zimbabwe had recorded 31 COVID-19 cases including four deaths and two recoveries.  By Michael Gwarisa As the world grapples with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, governments are absorbed with containing and minimising further spread of the virus. Various governments including Zimbabwe have instituted national Lockdowns as a precautionary measure against the…

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Zim Experts Warn Of Rise In Unintended Pregnancies After Lockdown…Should Young People Adopt Long-term Contraceptives?

Michael Gwarisa

FAILURE by young women and girls to access modern contraceptives and reproductive health services during the lockdown could spell doom and possibly reverse the gains that have been attained in terms of reducing Early Unintended Pregnancies (EUPs). By Michael Gwarisa According to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS) 2015, sexually active unmarried women are more likely to have the highest risk of unintended pregnancy. This is because more than 70% of them are on short-acting contraceptives, condoms, and orals. Under a lockdown scenario as ours, supply can easily be disrupted…

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How To BEST Prevent and Treat Covid-19 In Resource Limited Settings

Healthtimes

WE are all watching with horror as COVID-19 overwhelms the world’s most advanced health systems in Asia, Europe, and North America, leading to tremendous suffering and death. Clinicians, scientists, and communities in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East are bracing themselves. Health systems in some of the most resource-constrained areas are fragile and already under strain – and in crowded slums and townships, social distancing and enhanced hygiene measures to slow the spread will be difficult to implement. There is a very narrow…

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Plasma, The Most Critical Blood Component For COVID-19 Treatment

Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWE this week commenced its 21 days lockdown as a response to the growing cases of the COVID-19 in the country. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe currently has nine confirmed COVID-19 cases but with increased testing, cases are likely to increase in the coming weeks. In his address prior to the commencement of the Lockdown, President Emerson Mnangagwa hinted that essential services and critical staff in various key sectors will be reporting for work even during the shutdown period. The National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is among those organisations whose…

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ROOTS Africa Buys Basic Goods For The Vulnerable During Zim Lockdown

Michael Gwarisa

A local humanitarian organisation, ROOTS Africa has embarked on an initiative to hand out basic daily commodities and necessities  to vulnerable groups during the 21 days national lockdown period. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe commenced its lockdown on Monday, March 30 2020 amidst nationwide panic buying as citizens prepared for the three weeks long phase indoors. In an interview with HealthTimes, ROOTS Africa Director, Beatrice Savadye said in as much as they welcome the national lockdown, it affected livelihoods of many people especially those who survive from hand to mouth hence…

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#COVID-19: When Tyranny Tastes Sweeter Than Honey

Michael Gwarisa

THE World is currently battling one of the deadliest respiratory pandemic in the history of mankind in the form the Coronavirus which causes (Covid-19). By Michael Gwarisa The coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 has killed more than 14,000 people and infected more than 336,000. It has spread to at least 169 countries and territories. The World Health Organization declared it a pandemic on March 11. More than 11,000 deaths have been reported outside of mainland China, including 470 in the US. However, there is an unusual…

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