Category: Health News

Zim rolls out Child-friendly ARV formulations to keep children on treatment

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Minister of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Dr Douglas Mombeshora says more than 87 percent of children in Zimbabwe are now on child-friendly Dolutegravir (DTG) based formulations. His remarks follow indications that children in Zimbabwe were lagging regarding treatment coverage and data from 2022 shows that only 69 percent of children living with HIV were on Antiretroviral Treatment compared to 95 percent of adults on ART. Speaking during a panel session of Accelerating the Implementation of the Global Alliance Country Action Plan to End AIDS in…

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Zim-TTECH Rides on Four Grants to scale-up HIV Treatment and Care at Community level

Kuda Pembere

By Michael Gwarisa As of October 1, 2023, the Zimbabwe Technical Assistance, Training and Education Centre (Zim-TTECH) is now the prime recipient of three PEPFAR grants, through the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) which will scale up HIV and Tuberculosis Treatment and Care in Zimbabwean communities. The three grants include the Care and Treatment grant, the DREAMS grant and the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) grant. Speaking to HealthTimes at the ICASA conference, Zim-TTECH Demand Creation and Training Advisor, Abisha Jonga said they aim to capacitate communities in the HIV…

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ICASA spotlights worrying trend of Viral Hepatitis in Africa

Kuda Pembere

By Michael Gwarisa More than 91 million Africans live with Hepatitis B or C, which are the deadliest strains of the virus, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) scorecard that was launched in 2021. The Viral Hepatitis Scorecard 2021 which looked at data from the African region but focused on Hepatitis B and C, both of which cause liver cirrhosis and cancer showed that in 19 countries, more than 8 percent of the population is infected with Hepatitis B, while in 18 countries, more than 1 percent of the…

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2023 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey Launched

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) in collaboration with their strategic partner, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) has launched the 2023 Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS). The ZDHS is a periodic survey conducted after five years. Zimbabwe has conducted this survey in 1988,1994, 1999, 2005/06.2010/11 and 2015, Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2023 ZDHS is the 7 th round of this survey. A total of 11 200 households will be covered during this survey and 15 survey teams were deployed on the 2nd of December…

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Point of care testing helps reduce MTCT

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Point of care testing in children helped Zimbabwe reduce Mother to child Transmission (MTCT), infant mortality and morbidity over the past two decades, Professor Lynn Zijenah an immunologist says. Nationally, MTCT in the early 2000s amidst the absence of HIV interventions was more than 30 percent till it dropped to 8 percent according to latest figures. Presenting a research at the Cepheid Booth at the ICASA 2023 conference, Prof Zijenah said in the research where 500 HIV positive pregnant women were enrolled they MTCT rate was 1.55…

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Africa must rope in private sector in funding HIV Programs

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere WITH the discourse on funding for HIV programs being dominated by the Government and donor partners, a leading Malawian researcher says involving players is critical through innovative means such as taxes and levies. While countries such as Zimbabwe came up with the innovative AIDS levy, it has been an envy of many African countries. Professor Ann Maureen Phoya while addressing the media at an ICASA press conference Wednesday said the private sector should be roped in the HIV response financing. “We also need to raise money through…

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Alcohol abuse and under nutrition increasing TB mortality and morbidity in Africa

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere AFRICA must also address the issue of undernourishment to prevent mortality in TB patients, a tuberculosis World Health Organization Africa regional office official  has said. Head of the Green Light Committee for TB at WHO Afro Dr Jean-Louis Abena told delegates during a session at the ICASA conference that the issue of undernutrition and alcohol use disorder are proving to be a thorn in the flesh for the continent. “But this year, undernutrition becomes one of the most contributing factor that make people become ill in TB. And…

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