Health News |

MedTours Africa Eyes Global Market

February 13, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

MEDICAL tourism firm, MedTours Africa has set its eyes on the global market at the back of a growing demand for their services in other regions. By Michael Gwarisa In an interview with HealthTimes on the sidelines of the MedTours Africa 5th Anniversary celebrations in Harare, MedTours Executive Director, Dr Cheu Pswarayi said demand for medical tourism services was on the rise the world over and they intend to fill hat gap. We are going global, Medtours Africa is going global because what we have seen in the five years…

More People From Coronavirus Affected Countries Enter Zim

February 12, 2020February 13, 2020 Healthtimes

OVER 1 400 people from the COVID-19 affected countries have entered Zimbabwe since the declaration of the pandemic as a public health emergency of international concern. By Kudakwashe Pembere This emerged during the second cabinet decision matrix for 2020. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo at the Interministeral meeting on COVID 19 last week had said the number was 741. Media,Information and Broadcasting services minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said to date, 1 433 travellers have been reported to have passed through Zimbabwe’s ports of entry that are screening…

Private Sector Invited To Help End TB In Zimbabwe

February 12, 2020February 12, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

THE Stop TB Partnership in Zimbabwe has called on private sector and corporate players to join hands with government and other partners in combating Tuberculosis (TB) as the country works towards eliminating the disease by 2035. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking at the Stop TB Partnership Breakfast meeting, Dr Joseph Mafurira from the department of AIDS and TB in the Ministry of health and child care said Zimbabwe’s goal of eliminating TB could only be achieved through collective effort from government and private sector. Our national TB control program vision is…

ZIMPHIA 2020 Could Leapfrog Zim Towards Ending AIDS By 2030

February 12, 2020March 6, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

FOR the first time, Gogo Mhlanga (75) of Filabusi in Matebeleland South is seeing the Zimbabwe Population Based HIV Impact Assessment (ZIMPHIA 2020) survey banner. She wonders what it is all about and why it has been erected close to her homestead. By Michael Gwarisa A few minutes later, the ZIMPHIA 2020 Southern Region Survey Coordinator, Mrs Kudzanayi Moyo walks to her and explains what the message on the banner is saying and why the ZIMPHIA team is in the area. Her face lights up with joy and expresses gratitude…

#Breaking: Zim Health Ministry IT Technicians Estonia Bound

February 12, 2020February 12, 2020 Healthtimes

THE Estonian Government is drafting invitations which will see Information Technology technicians from the Health and Child Care Ministry travel to Estonia on a date to be announced, HealthTimes has learnt. This visit to the European country is for Zimbabwe to learn about the country’s robust e-Health system By Kudakwashe Pembere Speaking to this publication from Estonia on Wednesday (today), the country’s foreign ministry’s director of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Mrs Kadi Metsandi said plans are underway to invite the technical team from Zimbabwe to their country. “Good morning,…

WHO Renames Wuhan Coronavirus To ‘COVID-19’

February 12, 2020 Healthtimes

AFP-THE World Health Organisation(WHO) on Tuesday announced that “COVID-19” will be the official name of the deadly virus which was first reported in Wuhan, in China, saying the disease represented a “very grave threat” for the world but there was a “realistic chance” of stopping it. WHO had earlier given the virus the temporary name of “2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease” and China’s National Health Commission this week said it was temporarily calling it “novel coronavirus pneumonia” or NCP. “We now have a name for the disease and it’s COVID-19,” World…

Researchers Not Giving Up On Imbokodo HIV Vaccine Study

February 11, 2020February 11, 2020 Healthtimes

PERSISTENT researchers feel the halted HTVN 702 study on the efficacy of an HIV vaccine will not affect the Imbokodo Vaccine Trial study launched in 2017. By Kudakwashe Pembere HVTN 702 study was stopped following an interim analysis conducted on 23 January 2020 by an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) that reviews all data regularly to ensure the safety of participants and determine if the study should continue. The DSMB assessment concluded that the experimental vaccine regimen used in the trial did not prevent HIV infection. The vaccine…

Shortened DR TB Treatment Offers Ray Of Hope For TB Patients

February 11, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

A Study by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) shows long-term effectiveness for shortened DR-TB treatment regimen up to 24 months after treatment completion Results from a Union-led observational study (1) published in The Lancet’s EClinicalMedicine, show that a nine-month shortened treatment regimen for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) delivered to patients under programmatic conditions maintains a good level of effectiveness up to 24 months after completion. Until now there has been limited data on the long-term effectiveness of this treatment regimen after completion. The study reports on…

WFP Scales Up Post-Harvest Season Food Assistance

February 11, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

THE World Food Program (WFP) says it is already ramping up food aid for both rural and urban citizens beyond the harvest season amidst indications of an impending poor harvest at the back poor rains and a prolonged dry spell which characterised the early stages of the 2019-2020 agricultural season. By Michael Gwarisa In an interview with HealthTimes on the side-lines of the handover of a US$200 000 food assistance facility for Tongoragara refugees, WFP Country Representative, Mr Eddie Rowe said they started preparing for the post-harvest period back in…

Floods Hit Binga, Families Trapped

February 11, 2020February 11, 2020 Michael Gwarisa

BINGA District, in Matabeleland North Province, Nsungwale Area under Chief Sinakoma has been hit by floods leaving several families stranded. HealthTimes Correspondent The flooding occurred where four rivers meet namely; Sibwambwa, Sikanda, Namapande and Manyenyengwa. “Due to the heavy backlash, all the 21 families in the flood plain are marooned and 11 others are being assisted to reach safer zones. The Rapid Assessment by the District Civil Protection Com-mittee indicates that there could be more people affected considering the general settlement patterns in Binga District. “As an immediate intervention; the…