Category: Op Ed

A special feature section for guest columnists

UNESCO’s Rapid Training Programme On Open, Distance And Online Learning Reaches 1 400 Teachers

Michael Gwarisa

AS with many countries across the world, 2020 saw Zimbabwean schools abruptly closed as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure of schools for almost a year seriously impacted school outcomes and reversed some important post-independence gains in areas such as literacy and numeracy, school infrastructure, and school attendance, among others.   Most public schools did not have the capacity to offer distance or online learning since, in addition to a lack of infrastructure and resources, teachers were neither equipped nor trained to offer this type of learning. While…

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UN HIV Declaration Must Throw A Lifeline To People With Advanced HIV Disease

Michael Gwarisa

CAN we do what needs to be done to stop people dying from HIV/AIDS? Maybe – but only if we pay more attention to the people who are most at risk of dying. World leaders will discuss the next steps in the fight against the disease at the UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS on the 8-10th of June 2021. By Dr Gilles Van Cutsem and Amanda Banda The political declaration they’re expected to adopt, must contain clear and tangible commitments to tackle HIV related mortality and a specific focus…

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40 Years Into The AIDS Epidemic, Africa Must Embody The spirit Of Ubuntu If We Are To End AIDS

Healthtimes

FORTY years ago, on 5 June 1981, the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report described five cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia in gay men. The report foreshadowed the global AIDS epidemic, which has since resulted in over 75 million HIV infections and 32 million deaths worldwide. By Dr Aeneas Chuma Since the 1980s, we have witnessed remarkable moments in science and activism, and, in the last year of AIDS’ 40th decade, a global pandemic so unexpected and fierce, it has made us rethink our preparedness for health emergencies…

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#TalkingCOVIDWithDrGrant: Different Variants, Similar Control Strategies

Healthtimes
Dr Grant Murewanhema

THE Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative virus for the disease better known as COVID-19. It belongs broadly to a class of viruses known as coronaviruses, and people are more familiar with the previous SARS and MARS outbreaks. None of these ever got to the scale of the current COVID-19 pandemic. By Dr Grant Murewanhema Viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, which spread rapidly, also multiply very rapidly in a process called replication, where copies of similar virions continue to be made. Now, as you will be familiar…

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Further Waves Of COVID-19 Imminent In Zimbabwe Unless We Become Serious About Prevention

Healthtimes
Dr Grant Murewanhema

NATURALLY as human beings, we get tired of unpleasant situations that drag for protracted periods of time. It is therefore not surprising that we have become largely complacent about COVID-19 prevention protocols. By Dr Grant Murewanhema Recently, I went into a fast-food outlet, and was surprised that the attendants and their customers had no masks on, and hand-sanitizing on entry is no longer taking place. I quickly reminded the supervisors about the need to enforce these protocols. They are good not just for COVID-19, but even for other respiratory illnesses,…

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Demystifying COVID-19 Vaccines

Healthtimes

THE world has fought several plagues and pandemics over centuries, some of which even threatened to wipe out the whole of mankind. Nature somehow found its way of defeating the infectious pathogens and the human race survived. About a century ago, the world also battled the Spanish Flu pandemic, and there are hardly any survivors to narrate the ordeal, but we know that it was also a very bad pandemic. By Dr Grant Murewanhema Now, coming to the COVID-19 global epidemic which was declared a pandemic just over a year…

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Cocaine Addiction and Treatment

Michael Gwarisa

Cocaine Abuse Cocaine is a powerful recreational drug most commonly available in a white powder or solid white rock. It is generally snorted, swallowed, injected, or smoked and is highly addictive. Each method comes with its own additional side-effects. For example, snorting cocaine may cause damage to the nasal tissue, and smoking causes respiratory issues. Similarly, intravenous consumption can lead to scarring, infection, and vein damage. Cocaine abuse builds up to addiction when it is no longer a “want” to consume, but a “need.” Cocaine and Its Effects When cocaine…

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Maternal Health During COVID-19 Times, Time To Rethink Health Priorities

Healthtimes
Young Preganant Women

MOST Zimbabweans at some point  thought our country had done very well in curbing COVID-19 infections. That was before we started to experience a steady increase in new infections towards the end of 2020. Reports showed that in week 46 of the year, there were 281 new cases and in week 47 there were new 594 cases. By Edinah Masiyiwa  These statistics did not scare Zimbabweans enough though as people went to parties during the festive season, including a big party in Harare where thousands of people gathered to celebrate…

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Urgent Need To Build Public Health Sector Capacity & Resilience Ahead Of Further Waves Of COVID-19

Healthtimes

THE month of January was a clear testimony of healthcare workers’ lamentations over the years. Public health sectors doctors and nurses have gone on industrial action several times over the past years, crying not only over poor remuneration but poor conditions of service. By Dr Grant Murewanhema They have often cited poor equipment, lack of essential medicines and gross shortage of sundries as barriers to provision of quality healthcare. This has seen an exodus of highly qualified healthcare personnel from the public health sector into countries countries and regions. Our…

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The Importance Of Maintaining A Healthy Diet During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Healthtimes

THE Covid-19 pandemic has caused a lot of undesirable changes in the day to day living of people worldwide. The greatest concern of many is to avoid catching the virus and at least recover if infected. Everybody is afraid of either dying and leaving their loved ones or losing their loved ones to Covid-19, indeed the pandemic has come with lots of insecurities, fears and depression. By Ms Nomagugu Ndlovu and Dr Tecklah Usai The fears associated with the Covid-19 pandemic can negatively impact on people’s eating habits. Reaching for…

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