Category: Health News

Zimbabwe’s Integrated Specimen Transportation Boosts Viral Load Coverage Across the Country

Michael Gwarisa

“We have managed to reach the 95% target because we are managing to collect the Viral Load samples and we are managing to get the results of the tests.” By Michael Gwarisa To fast-track progress towards ending AIDS by 2030, Zimbabwe has increased Viral Load (VL) testing coverage in almost all 63 districts, following the rollout of an Integrated Specimen Transportation (IST) system. The widespread rollout of the IST system commenced in 2021 and has since spread to all 2000 health facilities under the Ministry of Health and Child (MoHCC).…

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Childhood Cancer International president hails KidzCan, ACCZ partnership

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Visiting Childhood Cancer International president Mr Rodney Wong on Wednesday commended the partnership between the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) and KidzCan noting it will have a great impact on the lives of children in early diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. At a time when the apostolic church is most of the time perceived to be against the seeking of medical services, ACCZ and KidzCan last week signed a memorandum of understanding for the sensitization of apostolic sect members on the importance of seeking cancer services for children.…

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Integrated Specimen Transportation System Modernises Zimbabwe’s Disease Diagnostics and Monitoring Systems

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Bulawayo Zimbabwe has scaled-up disease diagnosis, treatment as well as improve success monitoring management of patients at the back of an Integrated Specimen Transportation (IST) system, the HealthTimes has learnt. Funded by the Global Fund, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the IST program is being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), through the Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI). The IST program was rolled out in 2021, and is now in 63 districts and 2000 health facilities, where it aims…

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UZ wins 2024 SAYWHAT Quiz Challenge

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) emerged this year’s champions for the SAYWHAT National Quiz Challenge after a nail biting contest. It was the sudden death question,the decider, which saw UZ outsmarting and relieving last year’s winners, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). From the 12 schools, trimmed from the semifinal were the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), Gwanda State University (GSU), Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) and Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE). In the semis were debutants Marondera University of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology…

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SAYWHAT’s sixth Quiz Edition roars to life

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Paving way for the forthcoming Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference (SARSYC) in Botswana this July, SAYWHAT held its sixth Quiz Challenge at their Studio of Choice pitting students from 12 State Universities in Zimbabwe in the battle for top honours of the competition. The competition held annually provides the students drawn from the countries’ State Universities to exhibit their knowledge on various issues. “This year’s 6th edition is coming ahead of the SARSYC conference which will be held in July in Botswana. The quiz challenge is…

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Health Ministry allays COVID-19 fears.

Kuda Pembere

The Health and Child Care Ministry has allayed COVID-19 fears amidst the surge of flu-like infections across the country stating there are no new flu-like viruses. In a statement, the Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Dr Aspect Maunganidze stated that the flu-like infections are just the common cold. “The Ministry of Health and Child Care would want to reassure the public that the flu-like illnesses seen in the country are due to the common cold,” he said. Of the 3 634 suspected influenza cases reported recently, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West…

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Zim launches Feed and Fodder multistakeholder platform

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The newly launched Multi-stakeholder Platform to strategize implementation of the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) will among other issues seek to address the issue of food and nutrition security in Zimbabwe. With Zimbabwe not being spared by the effects of the El Nino induced drought, this has affected the food and nutrition security to an extent that an estimated 2.6 million people, including 1.7 million children, are projected to require urgent humanitarian assistance in the country, according to a UNICEF report. Speaking at the launch…

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Restoring Smiles Among HIV-Positive Employees: Lake Harvest’s Workplace HIV and Wellness Program Pays Dividends

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Kariba As the 2030 target to end AIDS draws near, numerous interventions are being implemented across the globe in a bid to fast-track progress towards reaching the ambitious target. For companies operating in hard-hit regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, HIV/AIDS has had major consequences on profitability and productivity of companies due to increased cases of absenteeism and AIDS-related deaths among the productive age groups. The UNAIDS acknowledges that HIV/AIDS is not just a public health issue but rather a workplace issue and a development challenge that…

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Malabo declaration target on stunting reduction unreachable for Zim

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe is among 19 African Union (AU) member states that are off-track to reduce stunting prevalence to 10 percent by 2025 as ratified in the Malabo Declaration. This was said during a Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS)workshop organized by the Africa Union InterAfrican  Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR). To eliminate child-undernutrition by 2025, Africa Union (AU) member states in 2014 promised to reduce stunting to 10 percent. “In the 2024 Cadebayanu Review Report, the data shows that 26.7% of Zimbabwean children are stunted. So Zimbabwe…

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Zim government committed to improve feed and fodder sector

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere In its bid to improve the livestock sector at a time the El Nino induced drought claimed about 10 000 cattle, the Zimbabwean Government is seized with improving the feed and fodder sector having a cocktail of measures such as the Presidential Silage scheme and the Presidential legume pasture program (creation of fodder banks) to mention but these. This was said by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Deputy Minister Dr Davis Marapira during Resilient Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) workshop in Harare. The RAFFS is an…

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