Category: Health News

Health workers to go on strike

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE’S Health Apex Council says health workers in the public sector will as of Monday be on strike noting their grievances are not being addressed. By Kuda Pembere Some of the grievances are closure of negotiation space, failure to provide meaningful cost of living adjustment and failure to review the Regrading System. In a letter to the Health Service Board (HSB), the Zimbabwe Health Apex Council (ZHAC) which represents several health workers unions said they arrived at this decision following a meeting held today. “Following our meeting on the 17th…

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Over 1 million child brides in Zim: UNICEF

Healthtimes

MASHONALAND CENTRAL tops the list of provinces with the highest number of young girls married before 18 in Zimbabwe with Matebeleland South having the lowest. By Kudakwashe Pembere Mash Central accounted for over 50 percent of the girls married before 18 years according to a UNICEF latest report on Child Marriages. In the report, there are over 1 million young Zimbabwean girls married before the age of 18 with 241 000 of these betrothed below 15 years. Matebeleland North, Midlands, and Harare had between 21 and 30 percent. Mashonaland West,…

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Government officials eye PSMAS takeover: Mliswa

Healthtimes

NORTON legislator Honourable Temba Mliswa says there are some government officials who want to snap up the Premier Service Holdings Company which runs Zimbabwe’s largest subscribed medical aid company, the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS). By Kudakwashe Pembere This comes following claims that Government wanted to take over the company which Vice President and Health Minister Dr Constantine Chiwenga refuted. Taking to Twitter, Hon. Mliswa urged unions must shootdown this move in an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to happen in the coming two weeks. ” I’m told that some…

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Legislators roast Prof Ncube over dragging disbursements to Health Ministry

Healthtimes

PARLIAMENTARIANS yesterday grilled the Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube over the sluggish disbursement of the money his Ministry alloted to the Health and Child Care Ministry. Speaking in Parliament, Bulawayo Central Member of Parliament Honourable Nicola Watson asked Minister Ncube who flaunted the successes of his fiscal policies why the Health Ministry had half way through the year had received only 14 percent. ” Thank you for giving me opportunity to ask a question. My question goes to the Ministry of Finance. He has just spoken of…

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South Africa approves 4-in-1 HIV Antiretroviral treatment

Healthtimes

SOUTH Africa’s medicines regulator, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has approved a 4-in-1 fixed dose combination of four antiretroviral treatments namely abacavir, lamivudine, lopinavir and ritonavir which is meant for infants and young children with HIV. By Kudakwashe Pembere The sweet-tasting, and heat stable was developed by Cipla Limited and the not-for-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi). “This new formulation represents a significant improvement over protease inhibitor-containing paediatric ARV formulations that have been used in South Africa for decades. It does not require refrigeration, has a…

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Government – UN validate development results, set priorities for 2022 and beyond

Michael Gwarisa

SENIOR representatives from Government and the United Nations together with development partners, donors, civil society, and NGOs validated development results achieved in 2021 under the 2016-2021 Zimbabwe UN Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF) and agreed on priorities for 2022 and beyond under the new five year, 2022-2026 Zimbabwe UN Sustainable Development Cooperation (ZUNSDCF). By Staff Reporter The ZUNSDCF joint senior steering committee meeting was co-chaired by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr. Misheck JM Sibanda and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon. Noting the overarching…

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MPs demand sole supplementary budget allocation for water, sanitation and hygiene in Zim

Healthtimes
Picture From Nehanda Radio

THE water, sanitation and hygiene situation in Zimbabwe needs to be declared a state of emergency while there is need for a sole supplementary budget allocation towards WASH, a parliamentarian said last week. By Kudakwashe Pembere This was a motion was raised by MDC-Alliance Member of Parliament for Warren Park Shakespear Hamauswa last week in Parliament. Now therefore, this House resolves to urgently request for a supplementary budget from Ministry of Finance and Economic Development which will be devoted solely for water and sanitation in the year 2022, in view…

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Hitting Three Birds with One Stone: Low Cost Boarding Facilities to Address Teen Pregnancies, Early Marriages and New HIV Infections in Chimanimani Adolescent Girls

Michael Gwarisa

HILDER Muwani* (16) is doing Form 3 at Mhakwe Secondary school in Chimanimani. Every day, she walks 30 kilometers to and from school. She at some point contemplated moving to a bush boarding or renting a room near the school just to cut on the distance, but her parents would have none of it. They feared she would mix with the wrong crowd, fall pregnant and end up dropping out of school as has become the fate of many girls in Chimanimani. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Chimanimani The risk…

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NBSZ Pays Tribute To Blood Donors

Michael Gwarisa

THE National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBSZ), has acknowledged the immense role blood donors play in ensuring the blood bank is fully stocked to meet the ever growing demand for blood and blood products. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe today (14 June 2022) joined the rest of the world to commemorate World Blood Donor Day. In an interview with HealthTimes, NBSZ Chief Executive Officer, Ms Lucy Marowa said there has been tremendous improvement in blood collections despite existing operational challenges. I want to thank our blood donors for the support that…

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Zim Launches Pledge To End To Child Marriages

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development together with the United Nations (UN) in Zimbabwe and its agencies, UNICEF, UN Women and UNFPA convened in Harare to launch a pledge to end child marriage, amidst growing calls for increased women involvement to end child marriages in the country. By Michael Gwarisa The development comes amidst indication that child marriage remains widespread in the country with evidence on the ground showing that one out every three women in Zimbabwe were married before the age of 18 due…

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