Category: Health News

Zimbabwe More Prepared For Epidemics: Global Health Security Index

Healthtimes

AT a time when Zimbabweans assume the country is not prepared for the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a latest Global Health Security Index report ranked Zimbabwe among the top 10 of African countries for being ‘more prepared’.  Zimbabwe is number nine out of 54 African countries while being number 152 out of 195 on the globe. By Kudakwashe Pembere Zimbabwe’s southern neighbour South Africa is number one on the continent with Mozambique to the east number 35 in Africa where as Zambia is number 34  and Botswana to the West…

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17 Zimbabweans Contract HIV After Defaulting On PrEP

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE currently has over 18 000 people taking Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) with 17 having seroconverted to HIV Positive. By Kudakwashe Pembere Seroconversion is the time in which a person develops antibodies to any disease-causing microorganisms (called pathogens). Antibodies are the defensive proteins produced by the immune system to neutralize a pathogen and is specific to that pathogen and that pathogen alone. When blood tests are able to detect these antibodies, a person is said to have seroconverted. In the case of HIV, seroconversion means that a person has gone from being…

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UZ College Of Health Sciences’ Lecturers Down Tools

Healthtimes

LECTURERS in the department of surgery have withdrawn their teaching services at the University Of Zimbabwe College Of Health Sciences (UZCHS) which ‘unprocedurally’ replaced their Head of Department and ill-treatment of medical students. By Kudakwashe Pembere The Senior Hospital Doctors Association (SHDA) and Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) claim the dismissal of Dr David Muchuweti and Dr David Chimuka followed by the subsequent appointment of Professor Faith Muchemwa, contravened the University’s laws. The associations say the suspension of the lecturers is detrimental to the partnership of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals…

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Zim Faces Surgical Masks Shortage…As Panic Over Coronavirus Grows

Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWE could soon be facing an acute shortage of surgical masks and other consumables amidst indications of  panic buying by Chinese nationals as they try to boost stocks in their home country in the face of the ravaging Coronavirus (COVID-19). By Michael Gwarisa China already has 150 new confirmed coronavirus deaths according to the National Health Commission, pushing the death toll nationwide to 2,592. Demand for surgical masks has been high in China since the plague was reported late December 2019, a situation which has seen diaspora Chinese stockpiling surgical…

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USAID Nutrition and Agric Programs Boost Household Food Security In Zim

Michael Gwarisa

THE United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) nutrition and resilience interventions have contributed significantly to household food sufficiency at a grassroots level in rural Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa To date, USAIDS has assisted more than 350,000 Zimbabwean small holder farmers to increase their yields, incomes, food security and self-reliance. Speaking at the USAID roundtable discussion which ran under the theme, “Agricultural-led Growth, Nutrition and Resilience,” United States Envoy to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Brian Nicholas said the aim of their programs was to see households running  sustainable income and food generating…

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AMARI’S Mental Health Documentary Premieres In Zim

Healthtimes

THE African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI) on Wednesday premiered a documentary dubbed Articulate: Filling The Gap in Harare focusing on mental health issues affecting Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Ethiopia. By Kudakwashe Pembere With subsequent premieres expected to be done in the other African countries, the documentary will first be aired on internet platforms as well as public service broadcasting corporations. The documentary features issues such as postpartum depression experienced by mothers, the uptake of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis(PrEP) among sex workers in Zimbabwe, a bipolar disorder patient, as well as…

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Local NGO on Massive Campaign to Recruit Adolescent Nutrition Champions

Michael Gwarisa

RURAL Enterprise Trust of Zimbabwe (RETZ) has embarked on a rigorous drive to recruit nutrition champions in both single sex and mixed schools around the country as a means of strengthening their voice and participation in nutrition advocacy. By Michael Gwarisa This initiative which is a youth led project is set to support adolescents to participate in a campaign dubbed, “Kick Out Stunting Campaign.” In Harare, Churchill Boys High school in which has a total of 1600 students is amongst one of the first beneficiaries from the project which is…

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NBSZ Moots Solar Power For Its Centres

Healthtimes

NATIONAL Blood Services Zimbabwe is planning to power its blood collection and storage  centres on solar by December this year to mitigate the power outages affecting their operations. By Kudakwashe Pembere Speaking to HealthTimes, NBSZ board chairperson Advocate Rodgers Matsikidze said they have been taking with the Energy and Power Development Minister Advocate Fortune Chasi to be placed on their neighbor Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals’ electricity grid. My good brother Advocate Chasi said that they are looking at it and Zesa is also looking at it. What we have noted…

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#BREAKING: Suspected Coronavirus Case In Zim… Wilkins On Lockdown

Healthtimes

WILKINS Infectious Diseases Hospital is handling  and investigating a suspected coronavirus case, a visitor who came from China recently, HealthTimes has learnt. By Kudakwashe Pembere and Michael Gwarisa In an interview with HealthTimes, Harare City Health Director Dr Prosper Chonzi said they have moved all the patients to Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital (BRIDH) to pave way for the investigations. Addressing Zimbabwe’s health sector officials on Monday Dr Chonzi had said the country had a ‘scare case’ they were investigating. The Health Minister said he will be making a  presentation…

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SAP, Converge Solutions co-innovation project delivers powerful healthcare solution for African hospitals

Michael Gwarisa

COMPLEX business models, combined with immense pressure to deliver great patient experiences and outcomes, has African healthcare providers turning to technology to improve their operational efficiency and automate back-office operations. This task is now far less daunting with the launch of a new technology platform designed by Converge Solutions and the SAP Co-Innovation Lab specifically for the African healthcare market. Healthcare providers are under increasing pressure to deliver improved patient experiences and streamline their operations with mounting financial constraints,” says Johann Joubert, CEO at Converge Solutions. “The answer to affordable,…

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