Category: Hot Stuff

#BREAKING: Global Fund Avails $500 million Funding To Zimbabwe’s Health Sector

Healthtimes

THE Global Fund has availed an additional $502 million towards Zimbabwe’s healthcare which will go towards supporting HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria programmes for the next three years. By Michael Gwarisa The grants will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child and Child Care (MOHCC) and UNDP in collaboration with Civil Society Organizations and the National AIDS Council (NAC). Officiating at the Grant launch, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenhyatwa said the $500 million grant will be able to sustain the gains made so far in fighting…

Read More

Esigodini Hospital Ambulance Being Used As Staff Bus

Healthtimes

ESIGODINI District Hospital has allegedly been using its ambulance to transport its workers to and from the institution for a fee of $5 per month each, a move that has been described as misplaced and out of order by health officials. SOURCE: SUNDAYNEWS ROBIN MUCHETU Workers at the hospital who spoke to Sunday News said they were paying $5 per month for the ambulance transport. “We pay $5 each month so that we are picked up from the shops to the hospital when we report for work and when going…

Read More

Public Health Bill now before Parliament

Healthtimes

THE long-awaited Public Health Bill is now before Parliament for crafting and went through its First Reading Stage in the National Assembly on Thursday. SOURCE: NEWSDAY  Health minister David Parirenyatwa brought the Bill for the First Reading, where he told legislators that the new Health law will, among other things provide for the conditions of improvement of the health sector and quality of life for Zimbabweans. “The Bill will provide for the rights, duties, powers and functions of all parties in the public health system, to provide for measures for…

Read More

WHO Calls For Strict Tobacco Regulation

Healthtimes

THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Adhomon has called for strict regulation and control of the tobacco industry so as to reduce tobacco harm which includes death and the risk of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), HealthTimes has learnt. By Michael Gwarisa The call comes at the back of revelations that tobacco currently contributes to not  less than seven million deaths around the world as well as reports of increased tobacco uptake by under age children and young people. “Enough is enough, we must not let the momentum…

Read More

Retailers, Mobile Phone Companies Invade Medical Aid Sector

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE Medical Association (ZiMA) secretary-general Dr Shingi Bopoto has raised concern over the increased proliferation of retailers and businesses in the health insurance services territory saying it goes against the ethics and expectations of the sector. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking during a CWGH hosted Post Budget meeting in Harare, Dr Bopoto said the biggest challenge in the health sector was lack of accountability and proper regulation and as a result, business were diverting their attention to offering medical aid and health insurance services at the expense of registered players. “If…

Read More

Drug Stock Levels To Go Up- Minister

Healthtimes

DRUG stock levels at all hospitals and health institutions are set to normalise at the back increased efforts to ramp up production at a local level as well as imporved financial support from the $18 million that was realised from air time health levy. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking during a tour of NATPHARM Pharmaceuticals yesterday, health and child care minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said the ministry had received $18 million from the air time health levy and much of the money would go it procuring essential drugs  for local hospitals…

Read More

Low levels of reporting on sexual violence causing severe health consequences – MSF

Healthtimes

Low levels of awareness about medical impact of sexual violence is causing severe health consequences, the international medical humanitarian organization, Medecins Sans Frontieres/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said today. HealthTimes Reporter Of the 7,400 survivors of sexual violence who received free, confidential medical treatment and psycho-social support from MSF at the Edith Opperman clinic in Mbare, Harare since 2011, only 43 percent sought care within 72 hours for preventive and proactive measures. All of those who sought preventive treatment within the recommended 72 hours were prevented from contracting HIV, STIs…

Read More

Tobacco Smoking Increases In Teenagers

Healthtimes

…Experts Call For New Technologies To Fight Tobacco Harm… By Michael Gwarisa from Nairobi, Kenya AFRICA is recording a massive increase in cases of child smokers with children between the ages of 13 and 15 being the biggest victims owing to peer pressure as well as the cheap pricing of cigarettes in most  African markets. The call comes amidst indications of increased cases on Child smokers in Africa with high  cases having been recorded in West Africa, East and other some parts Southern Parts of Africa. Speaking during a Tobacco…

Read More

HIV/AIDS Mortality Still High Despite Prevention Efforts- MSF

Healthtimes

Staff Reporter Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says despite the significant progress that has been made in preventing HIV infection,  South Africa is still struggling to reduce HIV/AIDS mortality in the country. (MSF) Medical Coordinator for South Africa, Dr. Amir Shroufi said, “Despite significantly improved access to ARVs, major challenges remain to reduce HIV/AIDS mortality in South Africa from an unacceptably high 180,000 deaths a year [1]. In order to reach the 40% of people living with HIV who still have not started ARVs, scaling up public access to new tools such…

Read More

AHF Zimbabwe puts 15 000 Zimbabweans on Free ART in just 1 year

Healthtimes

By Kudakwashe Pembere Originally from USA, a non-profit organisation which set base in Zimbabwe last year in September called Aids Healthcare Foundation has put over 16 000 Zimbabweans on free antiretroviral treatment. The organisation built centres of excellence which are treatment facilities for those with the disease at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare and Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo. Speaking to the press last Friday, AHF Zimbabwe Monitoring and Evaluation manager Brighton Murimira said there are about 16 000 people on free ART at their centres. “At Parirenyatwa we have 4 000…

Read More