Category: Health News

Japan Commits US1,3 Million To Help Zim’s Pregnant Women

Healthtimes
Young Preganant Women

THE Japanese government  and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency have pledged to help pregnant women in Zimbabwe through a signed US$ 1,3 million partnership grant. By Patricia Mashiri Through the project “Strengthening Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care in COVID-19 Hotspots in Zimbabwe”, Japan will provide support to improve the provision of maternal health care services within the context of COVID-19, specifically strengthening the referral system and ensuring the continuity of assisted delivery care in Harare and Bulawayo. Mr Satoshi Tanaka,…

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#LongReadAhead: Vaccines Efficacy And Effectiveness Explained

Michael Gwarisa
Dr Tinashe Gede

THE arrival of the coronavirus on our shores has to a larger extent planted an appetite for reading and commenting around health-related issues even amongst non-medical people. All of a sudden everyone is now a public health or medical analyst and this is largely due to information gaps present in our communities. By Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified information and communication as a key pillar to the pandemic response amongst the eight pillars the world heath body has set. However, when not managed and disseminated well, information…

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UZ Launches Mental Health Programme

Healthtimes

THE University of Zimbabwe has launched the Support Comprehensive Care and EmpowErment (SUCCEED), a mental health project for the people with psychological disabilities in Africa. By Patricia Mashiri The program is being implemented in four Sub-Saharan countries namely Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Malawi in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicines (LSHTM). Speaking during the launch of SUCCEED, Epiphania Munetsi, SUCCEED Programs Manager said the program came as a way to help and include psycho-social disabled people in the society. Develop an evidence-based package of multi-sectoral…

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Can A Vaccinated Person Still Get Infected With COVID-19?

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE kicked off the COVID-19 vaccination programme on 18 February, 2021, aiming to protect its citizens. The vaccine is open to all aged 18 and above and is accessible free of charge. Citizens must check with their nearest health facility to see where they can access the vaccine in their neighborhood. Catherine Murombedzi Health Correspondent Like all new innovations, the pace was slow at the beginning. As at April 16, 2021, a total 35 806 people had been vaccinated, with the protection programme gathering momentum, 135 new local infections from…

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Zimbabwe COVID-19 Case Fatality Among The Highest In The World-Expert

Michael Gwarisa

IN as much as Zimbabwe’s deaths from COVID-19 are relatively lower than those being recorded in other parts of the world, indications on the ground are that there is a high possibility that whoever gets infected has a greater chance of succumbing to the virus. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking to Journalists, Immunologist and Public Health expert, Dr Tinashe Gede said the country has of late been battling highly virulent COVID-19 strains, hence the high case fatality. On a relative scale, as a Continent, Africa has been relatively spared in terms…

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Vaccine Hesitancy Stands In The Way Of Zim’s Herd Immunity Target

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) says even though numbers of people who are now taking the vaccine have increased, the hesitancy that characterized the initial stages of national vaccination program might have slowed down progress towards inoculating 60% of the population that is required to achieve herd immunity. By Michael Gwarisa Herd immunity, or community immunity, is when a large part of the population of an area is immune to a specific disease. If enough people are resistant to the cause of a disease, such as a…

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Drug Abuse Threatens Zimbabwe’s Future Economic Prospects-Experts

Healthtimes

THE prevailing substance abuse scourge in Zimbabwe could have a long term impact on the country’s economic development as more young people of productive age are getting hooked on drugs owing to a myriad of factors chief among them being the economic induced hardships and idleness. By Patricia Mashiri In an interview with HealthTimes, leading Psychologist, Dr Kudakwashe Muchena, said  there was need for communities to work with the government to win the fight against drug abuse that has reared its ugly head over the few years and has been…

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Nearly Half Of All Women Are Denied Their Bodily Autonomy, Says new UNFPA report

Healthtimes

NEARLY half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to decide whether to have sex with their partners, use contraception or seek health care, according to UNFPA’s 2021 flagship State of World Population report, released today. By Staff Reporter According to the UNFPA report, the lack of bodily autonomy has massive implications beyond the profound harms to individual women and girls: potentially depressing economic productivity, undercutting skills, and resulting in extra costs to health care and judicial systems. Through the groundbreaking report, UNFPA is measuring both women’s…

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Boarding Students Not Allowed To Travel Home For Independence Holiday

Healthtimes

THE Zimbabwean cabinet has resolved that boarding school learners should not travel back home over the Independence holiday as a way of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Tanaka Moyo Speaking during a press briefing Monica Mutsvangwa, the Minister of Information and broadcasting services said the COVID-19 confirmed cases at Sacred High School were under control as it was easily detected. Last week’s outbreak at Sacred Heart School in Umzingwane District of Matabeleland South Province was easily detected and dealt with. Out of the 248 students and 33…

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NBSZ Sets 97,000 Units Blood Collection Target For 2021

Michael Gwarisa
Epharaim Mubayi

THE National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is targeting to collect an ambitious 97,500 units of blood for the year 2021 despite ongoing COVID-19 induced challenges. By Michael Gwarisa The  target also comes in the face at a time the blood bank is recovering from a dry period whereby  reserves from blood banks branches around the country had been struggling to maintain normal blood stocks  of at least least five days due to travel restrictions that saw most donors failing to access blood clinics to donate blood in the first…

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