Category: Health News

Introducing Etona: UNICEF Zimbabwe’s New Representative

Healthtimes

Zimbabwe, 07 August 2024—Ms Etona Ekole, the newly appointed United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Zimbabwe presented her credentials today to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hon. Frederick Shava. Ms. Ekole takes over from Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale as head of UNICEF in Zimbabwe. She will oversee the development and implementation of the UNICEF Country Programme 2022-2026. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Fredrick Shava accepted Ms Ekole’s credentials and said: “We are excited to welcome Ms Etona Ekole as the new UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe. Her…

Read More

Twenty graduate in Frontline Field Epidemiology

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Twenty frontline healthworkers from Zimbabwe’s rural districts graduated from a three-month Field Epidemiology Training Program. The training was informed by the lack of adequate capacity in disease surveillance in the country. The twenty which graduated on Wednesday in Harare, were drawn from Gutu, Hurungwe, Sanyati and Mwenezi districts. They included Environmental Health Officers, Health Information Officers, Health Promotion officers, Nurses and District Medical Officers. The training was conducted by the Zimbabwe Field Epidemiology Training Program (Zim FETP) with support from America’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in…

Read More

Health Professions Authority Zimbabwe engages journalists

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Health Professions Authority, a body comprising of eight councils regulating various professions in the health sector held a media familiarization talk on Tuesday briefing the press on the mandates and operations of these councils. This comes following the realization that the public were largely unaware of their rights and where to report illicit practices by professionals. The HPA is an umbrella body for Natural Therapists Council of Zimbabwe, Allied Health Practitioners Cuncil of Zimbabwe (AHPCZ), Pharmacists Council of Zimbabwe (PCZ), Nurses Council of Zimbabwe(NCZ), Medical Rehabilitation Practitioners…

Read More

#JUSTIN: Zimbabwe Ready To Respond To Mpox

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Following detection of a deadly Mpox variant in several countries in the African region, Zimbabwe has enhanced its diseases surveillance systems at all entry points in a bid to effectively respond to the disease, Public Health Advisor to the President, Dr Agnes Mahomva has said. Even though Zimbabwe is yet to record an Mpox case, the virus has been detected in more than 10 African countries namley the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Uganda,  Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa. Sequencing of…

Read More

Zimbabwe’s Medical Helicopters To Be Operational By Year End

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The operationalization of air medical rescue services within Zimbabwe’s public health system is expected to be ‘up and flying’ by end of year starting with six helicopters across four provinces. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora told journalists on the sidelines of a handover ceremony where Russia donated cholera commodities at the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) that they trained some pilots for medical air evacuation. Already we have started operationalizing the air ambulance. We are going to start with six helicopters, which are already converted…

Read More

In Zimbabwe, a Mobile App “One Impact” Has Enhanced Human Rights Outcomes for Persons with TB

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa As a young person who has survived Tuberculosis (TB), Munyaradzi Saruchera (27) from Dzivarasekwa in Harare now wants to make an impact in Zimbabwe’s TB response. He volunteers as a TB champion under the Stop TB Partnership Zimbabwe. His roles encompass getting feedback from the TB community regarding access to services, monitoring TB patients, and following them up to check if they adhere to medications. He also monitors the availability of TB services and commodities such as TB medicines, and screening services. However, collecting data and feedback…

Read More

#BREAKING: WHO Hints On Declaring Mpox Public Health Emergency Of International Concern

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned of a more deadly and highly infectious Mpox strain spreading across Africa and other parts of the world. This follows revelations that the mpox outbreak that has been raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the past several months might have spilled beyond the DRC borders. A report by science publication www.science.org shows that sequencing of the mpox viruses in three cases reported earlier this week in Uganda and Kenya has now confirmed…

Read More

UNDP Hands Over 136 Vehicles To Zim’s Health Ministry

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), has handed over a total 136 vehicles to be used by Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) in the HIV response and disease outbreak response. The vehicles were purchased using savings from the efficiency gains fund in bis to support the gains made in the HIV field as well as strengthening Zimbabwe’s health system. From the 136 vehicles, National Aids Council (NAC) received 20 vehicles. Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare on Friday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr…

Read More

#BREAKING: UN Appeals For US$429 Million To Rescue Starving Zimbabweans

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa An estimated 7.6 million Zimbabweans are facing acute hunger and in need of food aid, the United Nations Zimbabwe office has warned. More than half of the harvest has been destroyed because of a historic drought induced by the 2023-2024 warming El Niño episode and the United Nations officials have since called for international support to help Zimbabwe address the humanitarian impacts of El Niño. The UN in Zimbabwe has since called for financial assistance amounting to US$429 Million to assist at least 3.1 million people this…

Read More

MSF welcomes the end of cholera in Zimbabwe, but calls for a holistic approach to fight future outbreaks

Michael Gwarisa

Zimbabwe has officially declared the end of a cholera outbreak after nearly one and half years of battling with the second-biggest outbreak in its history. The declaration follows 30 days of no cholera cases in the country. This declaration by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), is a significant and welcome development, considering that it has been more than a year’s fight to contain cholera in the country and a lot of effort went into this fight. While this is a positive development and a big win for…

Read More