Tag: ART

Capacitate Local Pharmaceutical Companies To Manufacture ARVs, Gvt Told

Healthtimes

THE Zimbabwe National Network of People Living With HIV (ZNNP+), has called on government to ensure local drugs manufacturing companies are fully resourced and equipped to manufacture life saving Antiretroviral medicines. By Patricia Mashiri Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) championing HIV and AIDS issues in the recent years petitioned parliament to ensure uninterrupted availability of ARV drugs following reports of recurrent stock-outs and drugs unavailability. Speaking  at the National Dialogue on the Manufacturing of Medicines in Zimbabwe, Deputy Health and Child Care Minister, Dr John Mangwiro said government was committed to…

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Zimbabwe’s 2020 Global AIDS Monitoring Report Shows Progress In Bending AIDS Trajectory

Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWE has released its 2020 Global AIDS Monitoring (GAM) report which shows that the country is itching closer to epidemic control despite a myriad of challenges threatening to reverse the gains achieved so far, chief among them being the COVID-19 pandemic. By Michael Gwarisa Addressing a Press Conference where he presented on GAM and progress made so far, National AIDS Council (NAC) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Benard Madzima said the country achieved tits 90-9090 targets and the results from the GAM estimates also tallies with the ZIMPHIA results that were…

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Condom Use Declines Among Zim Sex Workers As Country Misses 2020 Condom Distribution Target

Michael Gwarisa

A total 83 million male condoms and 2.9 million female condoms were distributed in the year 2020, which is a far cry from the 100 million for men and 5.5 million that had been targeted for women during the year. By Michael Gwarisa The target misses were largely attributed to service disruption due to Covid-19. The 2020 figures were the lowest compared to the previous three years. The decline in condom distribution also affected uptake and use of condoms by Female Sex Workers and other HIV high risk groups. Presenting…

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“Let’s Not Address Health Issues In Silos During Lockdown”

Michael Gwarisa

THE National AIDS Council (NAC) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Benard Madzima says the new level four lockdown presents an opportunity for Zimbabwe to correct the mistakes of the first lockdown which saw a sizable number of people struggling to access essential healthcare services. By Michael Gwarisa In an interview with HealthTimes, Dr Madzima said even though HIV  is still a burden on the country’s health sector, it was critical to prioritise other issues such as Gender Based Violence (GBV), maternal health, access to contraceptives, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR),…

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#COVID-19: NAC Adjusts HIV Services According To COVID-19 Framework

Michael Gwarisa

THE National Aids Council (NAC) says it has modified its operations in accordance with the new COVID-19 environment in a bid to avoid disruption of critical services under the prevailing pandemic. By Michael Gwarisa In an Interview with HealthTimes, NAC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Benard Madzima said services were largely affected at the initial stages of the lockdown owing to strict restrictions which characterized the environment then but they have since found innovative ways of availing critical services to communities across the country. Since the start of the national…

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ART Adherence Critical Even During Lockdown- SAfAIDS

Michael Gwarisa

SOUTHERN Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) Sub Regional Head and Country Representative in South Africa,  Mr Ngoni Chibukire says adherence to lifesaving Antiretroviral drugs should be observed religiously despite the ongoing lockdowns. By Michael Gwarisa His calls come at the back of increased reports of cases whereby people living with HIV in most parts of the SADC region have been failing to access their ARVs during the lockdown period. In an interview with HealthTimes, Mr Chibukire said the health needs of PLHIV have not changed because there…

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Decentralize Third line ART Drugs Collection During Lockddown -Rights group

Healthtimes

MINISTRY of Health and Child Welfare (MOHCC) should consider decentralizing the third line regimen of Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) to avoid increase on defaulter rate, an HIV/AIDS rights group said. HealthTimes Reporter Currenlty, the third line drug collection services are being offered at Parirenyatwa in Harare and United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH). Third line therapy, sometimes called salvage or rescue therapy, is a treatment regiments for people who have few or limited anti drug options. This includes people who have failed are least two previous anti HIV regiments or people with…

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DEAF Zim Embarks On ART Defaulter Tracking Drive

Michael Gwarisa

DEAF Zimbabwe Trust (DZT) has kick-started a community Anteretroviral Treatment (ART) defaulter tracking campaign aimed at reducing default rates and increasing uptake of the live saving drugs amongst people living with HIV. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking to HealthTimes, Veronica Mwanza from Deaf Zimbabwe Trust said the project also has a a disability component where they folloup and offer support to people with various disabilities. We do what we call Defaulter tracking and psycho social support and adherence support to people living with HIV in selected areas that the project cover…

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Early Child Marriages Expose Marange Adolescent Girls To HIV Infection- FACT

Michael Gwarisa

FAMILY Aids Caring Trust  (FACT) Community Health Officer, Ms Mirriam Muchadzingwa says there is need to scale up efforts to curb early child marriages in Marange District in order to address the growing HIV burden in young girls. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking to HealthTimes during a Media Tour in Marange recently, Mrs Muchadzingwa said even though the rate of new infections in young girls was still low in the district, cases were being recorded and early child marriages could be the biggest source of the infections. This place is not…

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NatPharm Roasted Over ART Shortages

Healthtimes

PARLIAMENTARIANS and Global Fund’s Zimbabwe Country Coordinating Committee(CCM) took turns on Monday to grill the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) for misleading government claiming the country had sufficient stocks of antiretroviral treatment (ART)drugs. By Kudakwashe Pembere Giving oral evidence to the joint committees on Health and  HIV, NatPharm Operations Manager, Mr Charles Mwaramba said the drugs warehouse had close to 100 percent stocks of 12 selected ART drugs. This however, did not go down well with Parliamentarians who blamed the organization for politicking at the expense of human lives. Midlands Senator…

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