Category: Features

CWGH Releases Position Paper On 2018 Budget For Health

Healthtimes

HealthTimes Reporter  The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has released its proposed position paper regards the 2018 Budget for health requirements. Amongst other things, CWGH implored government to allocate at least 15% of the National Budget to health care in line with the Abuja Declaration target. “Empirical evidence has shown that a 1% increase in public spending on health care reduces child and maternal mortality rates while improving life expectancy. “To boost public spending on health without undermining fiscal sustainability government must explore a number of options for innovative…

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How social media saved Zimpapers journalist’s 20 month old daughter

Healthtimes

By Kudakwashe Pembere  NO feeling guts a mother more than seeing her beloved child wriggling in pain. Mothers all over the world have this incomprehensible yet amazing maternal instinct. According to Elyse Rubenstein, a Philadelphia psychiatrist who counsels new mothers, the term refers to “an inborn tendency to want to protect and nurture one’s offspring.” Almost all mothers (human and animal alike) eventually come to feel this way after they have a child. Many a mother have lost their children to various ailments not because they were incurable, but they…

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Free HIV, Cancer and SRH Counseling with YAZ Helpline

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa The Youth Advocates of Zimbabwe’s (YAZ) helpline has made strides in reaching out to marginalised individuals who belong to different groups of society through their YAZ Helpline In this age where technology is being used for various reasons, YAZ has seen it fit to engage individuals suffering from conditions. Tatenda Songero, YAZ Executive Director said the, “The Helpline is an ICT drive (Calls, SMS, social media, mobile application) and community approach that aggregates information to increase the availability and use of data to meet the urgent and…

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How I Conquered HIV Stimga : The story of Vangrista Nyambuya

Healthtimes

“I have disclosed my status to my community and to my family and we are living a normal life, people have accepted us for who we are and they even remind me when I forget to take my medication…” By Daniel Phiri THERE are close to 1.3 million people living with HIV/Aids in Zimbabwe and most of them face challenges owing to stigma attached to the disease. However this stigma is based on misconceptions, myths and unverified beliefs and results in society looking down upon HIV/Aids infected people. Stigma has…

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Marange Rural Hospital Attains World Class Baby Friendly Status

Healthtimes

Article by the National Nutrition Unit (MoHCC) MARANGE Rural Hospital was conferred with the world class Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative \(BFHI) status on August, 31 2017, the last day of the month in which we commemorate breastfeeding. At a certification ceremony attended by over 300 people from Marange community, Manicaland Provincial Health Executive, Mutare District Health Executive and the nutrition community, Dr Bernard Madzima handed over the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative world renowned placard to the Sister-in-Charge for Marange Hospital, Sister Marimanzi. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global status…

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The Plight Of Malnourished HIV Positive Mothers In Hopely

Healthtimes

“We end up eating our baby’s food because the situation at times becomes so bad, there wont be any food in the house…” By Michael Gwarisa  IT’S a Wednesday morning and hundreds of women both young and old are queuing at a World Food Program (WFP) container cubicle at Hopley Satellite Clinic to get their monthly allocations of fortified food for them and their young ones. Amongst the women is one weary looking young woman seating by the long bench with her baby clutched on her back. A gaze deep…

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Zim ARV Shortage Could Trigger Massive Drug Resistance

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa  ZIMBABWE today (21/08/2017) woke up to devastating news that the country’s public health and pharmaceutical institutions have been hit by massive Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drug shortages. According to an article in the Herald, HIV positive people on second line Abacavir ARV drugs are the most affected and they are being given a week’s supply of the drug instead of the traditional three moths supply due to stock outs. It is believed that the huge stock outs and shortages in drug supplies are being exacerbated by the…

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Economic crisis worsens HIV pandemic

Healthtimes

STAFF WRITER ZIMBABWE’S deepening economic crisis is severely affecting the government’s ability to fund public health delivery and restricting poor people’s access to health care, economists, government officials and health experts agree. The southern African country’s economy had shown signs of modest improvement under the government of national unity (GNU) between 2009 and 2013, when President Robert Mugabe and his long-ruling Zanu-PF party shared power with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). However, industry has been performing poorly and company closures have picked up since Zanu-PF won general elections…

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Its High Time Zim Schools Adopt Condoms

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa THERE is a raging debate on whether Zimbabwean schools should allow condoms to be distributed in schools to school going children. A number of campaigns including the Condomize Zimbabwe drive have  made strides in ensuring every sexually active citizen has access to protected sex regardless of race, age, religious or political beliefs. However, powerful sections of the society have been instrumental in blocking the move to avail condoms in schools citing various reasons. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora  said Government does not intend to dish…

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Stigma: The Curse of Old People Living With HIV

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa “Go away old granny, How does someone your age get HIV, like seriously, where did you get the virus anyway?” These are some of the harsh realities older people living with the HIV virus in Zimbabwe encounter at health care centers on daily basis. In most cases, senior citizens surviving with the virus are denied access to medicines and life saving Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drugs, exposing them to even worse catastrophic circumstances such as developing HIV drug resistance. Gogo  Rudo Tenenga (67) of Chitungwiza has lived…

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