Category: HIV/AIDS

Number Of Zim Children On ARVs Decline

Healthtimes

A recent global AIDS progress report released by the National Aids Council (NAC) in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and UNAIDS indicates there was a drop in the number of children on Antiretro Viral Therapy (ART) in 2018. By Michael Gwarisa The decline has been attributed to successful implementation of Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV efforts which include the adoption of new viral load and HIV testing technologies as well as the setting up of an EMTCT validation committee. According to the…

Read More

780K Young Zim Women Living With HIV

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWEAN women and young girls living with HIV rank third highest in SADC region on the back of  legal and policy barriers as well as gender based violence, a UNAIDS report reveals. By Kudakwashe Pembere Tailing South Africa having the highest number of young women and adolescents of 4, 4 million and Mozambique with 1, 3 million, Zimbabwe has 780 000 young girls infected with the disease. The report UNAIDS: HIV and Women released on Tuesday notes these high figures have been attributed to the legal age of consent to…

Read More

Gvt Takes Over Circumcision Program

Healthtimes

[dropcap]T[/dropcap][dropcap]HE[/dropcap] Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) together with the Population Services International (PSI) have come up with a Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) sustainability transition implementation plan (STIP) that will see government taking over implementation and programing of the project in both scale up and maintenance districts by the year 2021. By Michael Gwarisa Under the new framework, VMMC programing and implementation will move from a vertical heavily partner and donor supported programme to a more locally-owned and managed intervention. The decision comes at the back of a…

Read More

#BREAKING: Zim To Switch To New ARV Drug With Less Side Effects

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE is ready to transition to Teno-Lamuvudine Dolutegrevir (TLD), an Anti-retro Viral (ARV) drug with less side effects, moving away from the Teno-Lamivudine-Efavirenz (TLE) a three in one drug that is taken once a day, a top health official has said By Michael Gwarisa The development comes barely a year after government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) deferred rolling out of the Dolutegrevir drug following indications that it posed a great risk to women of child bearing age and adolescent girls which might lead to women…

Read More

Govt dissolves NAC board

Healthtimes

GOVERNMENT has dissolved the National Aids Council (NAC) board with immediate effect, barely a year after its appointment. SOURCE: The Herald In a letter dated March 4, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the dissolution followed concerns by stakeholders on appointment of the board, which was deemed improper. “Further to our meeting of the 30th of January 2019, where it was noted that the NAC board was improperly appointed, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe has concurred to the dissolution of the NAC board…

Read More

Global Fund Team on Funds Tracking Visit To Zim

Healthtimes

A Global Fund Team will arrive in Zimbabwe in a fortnight to assess the implementation and procurement progress of projects they fund. By Kudakwashe Pembere This emerged out of the Zimbabwe Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) update meeting on Wednesday which is regularly held to track funding, procurement and implementation patterns for Malaria, HIV and Tuberculosis. It was established in response to requirements and recommendations of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (” The Global Fund ” – GF) where GF processes at country level should be led by…

Read More

Over 8 000 Zimbabweans on PrEP

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE has to date managed to initiate over 8 000 people on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis  (PrEP) since commencement of the project in 2016, a government official said on Thursday.   By Kudakwashe Pembere Currently administered in the form of tablets, PrEP has been studied to be effective in the protection of HIV negative people against the disease. Since adoption of PrEP as a preventive measure against STIs in Zimbabwe in 2016, about 8 482 people have been initiated. Ministry of Health and Childcare National HIV Prevention Coordinator Ms Getrude Ncube told…

Read More

#BREAKTHROUGH: Man Cured Of HIV

Healthtimes

A British man may be the second person to be cured of HIV after doctors said he was in ‘sustained remission’ after being given stem cells from a donor with genetic resistance to the disease. SOURCE: The Telegrapgh UK The breakthrough comes 10 years after the first such case, known as ‘The Berlin Patient’. The second person, dubbed ‘The London Patient’ was treated by specialists at at University College London and Imperial College in 2016,  and has since shown no sign of the virus. Doctors are hopeful the man is…

Read More

Zim Gets Advanced Tech To Test HIV In Infants…Results Come Out Within Hours

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE has to date received at least 10 SAMBA machines meant for early diagnosis of HIV in infants, a move set to speed up detection of HIV in new born babies and children. By Michael Gwarisa The SAMBA HIV testing technology comes at a time Zimbabwe is making inroads towards eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV and the new technology will aid in detecting the virus early making it easy to initiate the young ones on anti-retro viral medicines. Officiating at the Handover Ceremony of 10 SAMBA machines to…

Read More

Zim Requires 173 Million Condoms Per Year

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE requires about 173 million male and female condoms annually to meet demand, a Ministry of Health and Childcare official said on Thursday. By Kudakwashe Pembere For this year, the country with a population of about 16 million received about 136 million condoms. Addressing a High level Advocacy Meeting for Comprehensive Condom Programming in Zimbabwe Health and Childcare Deputy Director of AIDS and STIs,  Dr Tsitsi Apollo said in 2017, the country used over half of the needed amount.  With Wednesday being the International Condom Day, the meeting was a…

Read More