Category: Health News

US avails USD15 million for Zim malaria fight

Healthtimes

THE United States of America President’s Malaria Initiative (US PMI) last year disbursed USD15 million to Zimbabwe for activities meant to combat Malaria. By Kuda Pembere The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deathsworldwide in 2020; an estimated 602,000 malaria deaths (96 percent) were in Africa and 80 percent of these deaths in Africa were in children under five. The WHO estimated that $6.8 billion was needed to fight malaria in 2020; current global funding for malaria is around $3.3 billion annually and despite…

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Angels Foundation Launches Men’s Month Campaign

Michael Gwarisa

Angels Foundation Zimbabwe says it will be launching a Men’s Month in coming June as a way to celebrate the sacrifices of men as fathers, uncles, brothers and sons in society and it will be celebrated every year going forward. Staff Reporter Speaking to HealthTimes, Mr Edmore Munyoro said men in general have a poor health seeking behaviour and the launch will try to address that. Angels Foundation Zimbabwe has chosen June because of Father’s day that is celebrated yearly in that month as the organization aims to raise awareness…

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Local NGO Takes TB Fight to Mining Communities

Healthtimes

THE Disaster and Environmental Management Trust (DEMT) has been contracted by the Stop TB Partnership/ UNOPS to implement a project called Promoting meaningful Community involvement in the Zimbabwe National TB Program through Community Disease Committees in Mutoko and Mudzi Rural Districts of Zimbabwe. By Staff Reporter Speaking to HealthTimes, Romeo Chingezi, the project coordinator said both districts are giant mining areas, Mutoko produces over 70% of granite of granite output in Zimbabwe while Mudzi has over 5000 artisanal gold miners. The sizeable incomes from mining are promoting sex work which…

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Zim’s high neo-natal mortality needs urgent attention-Rusike

Michael Gwarisa

THE number of children dying within their first 28 days of life has remained high and unchanged over the past 33 years at the back of numerous factors such as malnutrition amongst a host of others, a United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said. By Michael Gwarisa Neo-natal mortality refers to the number of deaths during the first 28 completed days of life per 1000 live births in a given year or other period. According to UNCEF’s Annual Report for the year 2021, neo-natal mortality rate has remained practically unchanged…

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Zimbabwe evaluates progress of its AMR National Action Plan

Healthtimes

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), is a growing threat where the substances (“antimicrobials”) used to kill or neutralize pathogens lose their effectiveness. FAO Communication Department Every year, on average, 700,000 people die because of AMR, this number without global action, will continue to rise in tandem with food production losses leading to food insecurity. More recently, a research has shown that around five million human deaths were associated with AMR in 2019. To combat such a crisis, in 2015 and using a One-Health (OH) approach, three leading Tripartite organizations (the Food and Agriculture…

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Right to Mobility Organisation Donates Wheelchairs To Persons With Disabilities

Healthtimes

CHILDREN and young adults with disabilities from Mazowe, Chitungwiza, Harare, Masvingo and Zaka received wheelchairs from a charity organization named Right to Mobility last Saturday. By Kudakwashe Pembere The organization still in its infancy, managed to source these wheelchairs for the children with disabilities from various individuals in the United Kingdom. Set up by one Yvonne Chikasha also known as Mai Todaishe based in Canada, the organization has been using Facebook as a platform to mobilize resources for persons with disabilities. Explaining how this organisation came about, Mr Donald Chikasha,…

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Over 1 million African children protected by first malaria vaccine

Healthtimes

MORE than 1 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have received one or more doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine, thanks to a pilot programme coordinated by WHO. The malaria vaccine pilots, first launched by the Government of Malawi in April 2019, have shown that the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine is safe and feasible to deliver, and that it substantially reduces deadly severe malaria. These findings paved the way for the historic October 2021 WHO recommendation for the expanded use of RTS,S among children living in settings with moderate…

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Inconsistencies Surround Zimbabwe’s US$12.4 Million Free Sanitary Wear Initiative

Michael Gwarisa

…Rural School Girls Receive Panty Liners Instead of Sanitary Pads …Ministry of Primary Education Says There Is Nothing Sinister   THE ministry of primary and secondary education (MoPSE) has come under fire from Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) experts after it  emerged that there have been gross irregularities in the distribution of sanitary products under the Free Sanitary Wear Initiative that was launched by government in 2020. By Michael Gwarisa The Free Sanitary Wear initiative was announced by Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube in his 2020…

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Advance Equity. Build Resilience. End Malaria.

Healthtimes

World Malaria Day provides us with a moment to reflect on the scale of the challenge we still face – and recognise what needs to happen to fix it. By Michael Joos Make no mistake, great strides have been made. El Salvador and China were certified malaria free in 2021. However, most countries with a high burden of the disease have suffered setback and are losing ground. How can we be satisfied, when 627,000 people died in 2021, from what is a curable disease? More than two thirds of those…

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Girls Share First Time Menstruation Experiences

Michael Gwarisa

ONE way in which women graduate from girlhood into womanhood is through menstruation or having a period. A period is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s monthly cycle. Every month, a woman’s body prepares for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, the uterus, or womb, sheds its lining. The menstrual blood is partly blood and partly tissue from inside the uterus. By Michael Gwarisa A girl’s first period is a major milestone in her life and girls should celebrate this monthly natural occurrence as it’s just proof…

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