Category: Health News

Health and Safety Measures Published For Delegates Attending ICASA 2023 In Harare

Michael Gwarisa

THE International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) secretariat have published a list of health and safety measures that delegates and attendees should adhere to during the conference period. The ICASA Conference will run from 4 to 9 December, 2023 at the Harare International Conference Center (HICC). The conference will be running under the theme, “AIDS IS NOT OVER: Address inequalities, accelerate inclusion and innovation.” Attendee health and safety measures  Here’s all you need to know for attending ICASA 2023 safely, responsibly, and confidently. Note that some guidelines…

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Vet Department takes locally made cattle disease vaccination campaign to Mash East

Michael Gwarisa

By Kuda Pembere in Goromonzi The Veterinary Services Department under the Ministry of Agriculture have taken the Bolvac vaccine innoculation blitz to Goromonzi, a district in Mashonaland East to protect cattle from theileriosis better known as January Disease. Bolvac is a locally made vaccine using a Goromonzi strain to fortify bovine immunity against this tick disease affecting cattle. In an interview with Vet Services Tech department Deputy Director for Diagnostics and Research Dr Chenai Mujuru at Mwanza Diptank in Mwanza Village, Goromonzi, where the vaccine inoculation was demonstrated as part…

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Zimbabwe Hosts 3rd Conference For Families Of Missing Persons

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in partnership with the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) is hosting the 3rd International Conference for Families of Missing Persons which is a platform designed for families of missing persons from all over the world. The conference is a safe space where families of missing persons can connect, share experiences, and learn from one another. Participants can gain insights, get inspired, and inspire others going through similar challenges. Apart from families, the event was graced by officials from Zimbabwe Republic…

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CATALYST Study To Inform National Scale-Up Of PrEP Products in Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Following the approval for the use of three Pre-Exposure Prophylaxes (PrEP) products for HIV prevention by the Zimbabwean government,  the country is conducting a three-year study to evaluate and inform the national HIV response’s rollout of PrEP products. The study named CATALYST, which stands for Catalyzing Access to New Prevention Product to Stop HIV is a multi-country study that will characterise and assess the implementation of an enhanced service delivery package providing informed choice of PrEP products among women at the sites where the study is being…

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Offering PrEP to all pregnant women just as effective as focusing on those at higher risk of HIV

Healthtimes

Edith Magak (AIDSMAP) A study comparing two models for delivering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among pregnant women seeking routine antenatal services at public clinics in Kenya found similar PrEP uptake in the targeted (risk-guided) and universal arms. Additionally, both arms had high PrEP continuation rates, and HIV incidence was also similar. Since the risk-guided approach was not superior and did not improve PrEP decision-making, the researchers recommend universal PrEP counselling – which is easier and simpler to provide. “We found that a risk-guided PrEP offer (Targeted) was not superior to a…

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Zim revises One Health AMR Action Plan

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe has completed its revised edition of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) One Health Action Plan, the Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said. With assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development, as well as the Ministry of Environment spearheaded the process which began in May this year. In addition to helping to build evidence-based policies…

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“Remove Street Vendors Or we Remove Them Ourselves”…Gvt Tells Harare City As Cholera Spreads

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Minister of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Dr Douglas Mombeshora has advised the City of Harare to move swiftly and ban the vending of food, fruits and vegetables on the streets and undesignated places, before the Cholera crisis gets out of hand. His call also comes amidst indications that some vegetable growers in places where burst sewer pipes discharge raw sewage, were capitalising on the burst pipes crises to water their vegetables which they later sell to vendors around the city. Speaking during a donation of Cholera…

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Zimbabwe Introduces AMR Module In Nursing School

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to capacitate healthcare workers to better deal with the rising scourge of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), has introduced an AMR module in nursing schools. This was revealed by Dr Rudo Chikodzore, the the Director of Epidemiology and Diseases Control in the Ministry of Health uring a Press Briefing to mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) being hosted in Harare, Zimbabwe. The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR…

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Zimbabwe Launches 16 Days Of Activism Against GBV Campaign

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to raise awareness around Gender Based Violence (GBV) and to spotlight struggles facing women and girls in reaching their full potential, Zimbabwe has officially launched the 2023 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The launch was organised by the United Nations Population Fund in Zimbabwe (UNFPA-Zimbabwe), as a precursor to the commencement of the official campaign period which kicks off on November 25, marking the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which is an internationally recognised campaign on…

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Misuse of medicines is making infections difficult to treat

Michael Gwarisa

World AMR Awareness Week #WAAW2023 is observed globally: 18th to 24th November Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and become resistant to (or no longer respond to) medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. As a result of drug resistance, medicines become ineffective, and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat. That is why AMR ranks among the top ten global health threats worldwide. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a problem driven by…

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