Category: Health News

Early Child Marriages Expose Marange Adolescent Girls To HIV Infection- FACT

Michael Gwarisa

FAMILY Aids Caring Trust  (FACT) Community Health Officer, Ms Mirriam Muchadzingwa says there is need to scale up efforts to curb early child marriages in Marange District in order to address the growing HIV burden in young girls. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking to HealthTimes during a Media Tour in Marange recently, Mrs Muchadzingwa said even though the rate of new infections in young girls was still low in the district, cases were being recorded and early child marriages could be the biggest source of the infections. This place is not…

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TB Activists Disrupt Global TB Conference Over Exorbitant Prices

Michael Gwarisa

DOCTORS Without Borders (MSF) joined tuberculosis (TB) activists to disrupt the opening ceremony of the 50th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Hyderabad today, urging pharmaceutical corporations to make improved drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) treatment affordable and available for hundreds of thousands of people around the world who desperately need it. For the first time in over half a century, there are three new DR-TB drugs – bedaquiline, delamanid and, most recently, pretomanid – that can offer people a better chance to be cured, but barriers to access including high…

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Economic Hardships Leaving Young Girls Vulnerable To Abuse

Michael Gwarisa

 NORTON Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa says the economic hardships the country is facing is leaving the girl child vulnerable to abuse. Mr Mliswa says the abuse the young girls are facing is destroying their confidence leaving them with no hope. “Economic Challenges that we are facing are making our girls prone to abuse by older men and sometimes their parents hence putting them at risk of HIV transmission. Whenever there was a drought it was common to hear stories of young girls being married off to older men so…

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Zim Medical Student Elected IFMSA Africa Regional Director

Healthtimes

A Zimbabwean medical student was recently elected to head Africa’s Directorate for the International Federation of Medical Students Associations(IFMSA) following a tight contest in Taiwan. By Kudakwashe Pembere Allistair Mukondiwa pursuing a medical degree with the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences in an interview said he was happy to be the first Zimbabwean to lead African region’s medical students. Honestly, Im both nervous and excited; nervous because I know how much of a big responsibility it is to grow the voice of medical students in global health and…

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“We Wont Be Attending Disciplinary Hearing”- Striking Doctors

Healthtimes

STRIKING doctors will not attend the November 1 disciplinary hearing by Government claiming demanding salary increases was within their rights, HealthTimes has learnt. By Kudakwashe Pembere In an interview with Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) secretary general Dr Tawanda Zvakada said demanding a fair wage did not warrant a disciplinary hearing. “We believe we have not committed any misconduct by demanding a fair living wage,” he said. “No one is attending any hearing.” The doctors are expected to appear for disciplinary hearings for being on industrial action for nearly two…

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Giving Traditional Leaders Arresting Powers Could End Early Unintended Pregnancies

Michael Gwarisa

MUDZI has one of the highest prevalence of Early and Unintended Pregnancies (EUPs) and early child marriages owing to a plethora of factors chief among them being poverty, peer pressure and a lack of education. Girls within the age range of 15-17 constitute a large number of girls dropping out of school and those getting married in Mudzi. Owing to its proximity to the boarder and the expansion of mining activities in the area, high cases of Early Unintended Pregnancies and early child marriages continue to be recorded despite efforts…

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‘High Demand For Injectable PrEP Among Zim, SA Women Than In The US’

Healthtimes

WOMEN in Zimbabwe and South Africa without HIV may demand long acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) more than American women, a latest  HPTN 076 phase 2 clinical research has found. By Kudakwashe Pembere This research comes on the back drop of a high HIV incidence and low adherence to daily oral PrEP among women underscoring the need for more acceptable and easier to use HIV prevention products. The study examined the acceptability of a long-acting injectable PrEP among HIV-uninfected women in Zimbabwe, South Africa and two United States phase 2…

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DTG To Be Across Board: Health Ministry

Healthtimes

DOLUTEGRAVIR (DTG) based regimens will be rolled out nationally to all people living with HIV including women of child bearing ages and babies. By Kudakwashe Pembere Recently in Kadoma Addressing a training workshop for civil society on new HIV/TB treatment guidelines, HIV/TB Public Health Specialist in the Health and Child Care Ministry Dr Clorata Gwanzura said with this transitioning they have been targeting a 12, 5 percent coverage of clients eyeing a 100 percent end of next year. The take home message for 2018-2019 is we have moved to DTG…

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Scientists Move Closer To Unleashing TB Vaccine

Michael Gwarisa

THE Union against Tuberculosis (TB) and Lung Disease Scientific Director, Dr Paula Fujiwara said scientists were a step closer to releasing a vaccine for the deadly disease which has claimed millions of lives globally. By Michael Gwarisa He said this during the 50th Union World Conference on Lung Health being held in Hyderabad, India  We are one more cautious, but exciting, step closer to a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB). A vaccine is the ultimate prevention tool and the announcement today is welcome news, but as researchers discuss how to move…

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SAfAIDS Appoints New Executive Director

Michael Gwarisa

THE Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) has appointed Ms Rouzeh Eghtessadi as its new Executive Director effective, November 1, 2019. By Michael Gwarisa Ms Rouzhe brings to SAfAIDS  an array of expertise in the areas of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), gender rights, HIV and Gender Based Violence (GBV). In a statement, Mr Cleophas Makoni, SAfAIDS Board of Trustees Chairperson said Ms Rouzeh emerged victorious and fit for the post following an extensive and rigorous recruitment process, led by the SAfAIDS Board of Trustees. Ms.…

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