Category: Op Ed

A special feature section for guest columnists

Over 1 million African children protected by first malaria vaccine

Healthtimes

MORE than 1 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have received one or more doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine, thanks to a pilot programme coordinated by WHO. The malaria vaccine pilots, first launched by the Government of Malawi in April 2019, have shown that the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine is safe and feasible to deliver, and that it substantially reduces deadly severe malaria. These findings paved the way for the historic October 2021 WHO recommendation for the expanded use of RTS,S among children living in settings with moderate…

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Advance Equity. Build Resilience. End Malaria.

Healthtimes

World Malaria Day provides us with a moment to reflect on the scale of the challenge we still face – and recognise what needs to happen to fix it. By Michael Joos Make no mistake, great strides have been made. El Salvador and China were certified malaria free in 2021. However, most countries with a high burden of the disease have suffered setback and are losing ground. How can we be satisfied, when 627,000 people died in 2021, from what is a curable disease? More than two thirds of those…

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Misuse Of Antibiotics In Agriculture The Cause Of Antibiotic Resistance

Healthtimes

THERE is an increase in the world population as has been noted over the years and this demands an increase in production to meet the needs of people. Globally, farmers are becoming industrialized in order to meet consumer demand. In order to meet the consumer demand for meat from poultry and livestock, farmers are now excessively using antibiotics to prevent diseases and thereby increase production. Imprudent use of antibiotics in the animal sector has an impact on life-saving antibiotics which are becoming ineffective for treating bacterial infections. By Paradzai lnnocent…

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Water and Sanitation is before all else a Human Issue

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DAKAR, Senegal: Drinking water, decent toilets and good hygiene practices are basic and essential elements for all. These elements unfortunately remain theoretical especially in 2022; more so in Africa where only one in four Africans has access to a safe source of drinking water, with more than 200 million people not having access to toilets and more than 80% of human excreta being discharged into the environment without treatment. By Laetitia Sadiya Delaunay Badolo Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are both a fundamental human right recognised by the…

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Marriage Perspectives With Loise Chingandu: For Newly Weds

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EVER since lobola events became a public event, marriages seem to be on the increase. I admire the glitz and glamour that comes with these ceremonies but I am always sad when within weeks or a few months pots start flying, bags are packed end of the union before it has even started. My question when I see lobola parties is; Do these young people understand what marriage is? By Loise Chingandu It is a complex institution with a set of rules that you only know and understand when you…

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We cannot let war in Ukraine derail HIV, TB and Covid-19 treatment in eastern Europe

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It is no surprise that the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for oxygen and critical medical supplies to safely reach those who need them in Ukraine and moving to establish safe transit for shipments through Poland. But nor is the call new. We`ve been here before. By Michel Kazatchkine — This article appeared first on The Telegraph Russian annexation of Crimea and the conflict in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Eastern Ukraine in 2014 threatened the supply of HIV and tuberculosis medicines. Fragile trans-internal border efforts and financing by the…

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Let us make schools places of learning about respect and equality

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An estimated 246 million children and adolescents experience violence in and around school every year. By Lidia Arthur Brito and Hubert Gijzen It is estimated that globally 246 million children and adolescents experience some form of physical, sexual or psychological violence in and around schools each year. Violence in schools, can be detrimental to learners. Many of us have seen disturbing videos circulating on social media in the ESA region, of young people either being bullied or being part of those bullying others. These were not isolated cases. In a…

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Epilepsy Day this year falls on the Valentine’s Day

Healthtimes

International Epilepsy Day is celebrated on the second Monday of February every year in at least 130 countries worldwide, Zimbabwe included. Ironically this year’s commemoration falls on the 14th of February which is the Valentine’s Day, a day set aside to celebrate love. Valentine’s Day has influenced this year’s commemoration as the epilepsy community is simply asking for the world to show love to people with epilepsy. By Jacob Ngwenya Epilepsy is a central nervous system( neurological) disorder in which brain activity is affected causing seizures or periods of unusual…

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“The importance of counselling for parents post a childhood cancer death”

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AS we join the rest of the world in commemorating International Childhood Cancer Day; it is important to note that comprehensive palliative care is essential to the health and the well-being of children facing life-threatening illness especially cancer. The aim of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for the children and their families and minimise suffering by providing physical, psychological, spiritual and social care throughout the entire course of illness. Counselling and support are an integral part of palliative care. By Eunice Garanganga, Executive Director, HOSPAZ Parents…

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Time to Mainstream COVID-19 into GBV and Women’s Rights programing

Healthtimes

In 2021, my nephew died of COVID-19. Just like so many relatives of more than 5,367 Zimbabweans[1] who have died during the nearly two-year pandemic, I was not able to participate in a funeral, wake, body viewing or funeral. These are all important rituals and I still feel sad when I think of how I not only lost him, but I also missed the chance to properly mourn him with loved ones. By Edinah Masiyiwa The pandemic and its outcomes have not only robbed us of our loved ones, but…

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