Tag: COVID-19

Viruses like COVID may ‘wake up’ dormant breast cancer cells, study finds

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  The worry that breast cancer may someday return is a troubling source of anxiety for many survivors of the disease. This is because most relapses and metastatic cancers (those that have spread) are not caused by new tumours, but by dormant cancer cells that suddenly become active. These cells often settle in places like the lungs or bones, lying in wait for the right conditions to grow again. For years, researchers suspected that chronic inflammation from factors such as smoking or ageing could be one of those…

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WHO Warns Against Using Antibiotics to Treat COVID-19 or Flu

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued updated guidelines strongly advising against the use of antibiotics to treat COVID-19 or influenza, emphasizing that these medications are ineffective against viral infections and contribute to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The guidelines, outlined in a recent WHO evidence brief, stress that antibiotics should only be prescribed for bacterial infections, not viral illnesses like COVID-19 or the flu. Misuse of antibiotics during the pandemic has exacerbated AMR, a global health crisis that could render common infections untreatable in…

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Africa Accelerates Genomic Science to Tackle Epidemic Threats

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Addis Ababa Africa is increasingly becoming the frontline of global disease outbreaks. According to data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the continent recorded a 40% increase in outbreaks, from 152 in 2022 to 213 in 2024. In the past year alone, Africa has battled multiple health threats, including a deadly cholera outbreak in Southern Africa, escalating cases of Mpox in Central and East Africa, and Marburg and Ebola outbreaks in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda respectively. While many of these outbreaks…

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COVID-19 Remains a Top Cause of Acute Respiratory Infections in Zimbabwe, Study Finds

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Although COVID-19 is no longer classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), in Zimbabwe, the virus still accounts for a significant number of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) cases across the country. This insight emerged during a presentation of key findings from a study conducted by Mutala Trust, a leading research organization in Zimbabwe, which focused on Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and other respiratory illnesses. According to the research, the burden of respiratory diseases, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children aged zero to 60…

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Conservation Is The Firewall To Future Public Health Threats Says AWF Boss

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In 2020, the world went into a total lockdown following the declaration of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) as a global health pandemic. The coronavirus is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Cases of novel coronavirus were first detected in China in December 2019, with the virus spreading rapidly to other countries worldwide. This led WHO to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020 and to characterise the outbreak as a pandemic on 11 March…

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AVAC Facilitates Translation of Health and Scientific Terms Into 10 African Languages

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to bridge information gaps between scientific research and community understanding, AVAC has launched the Translation Index, a translation of health and scientific terms into vernacular languages for Six African countries. The Translation Index offers health journalists accurate translations of commonly used and essential medical terms in their native languages in six African countries namely Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. At this time the Translation Index supports the following languages: Bemba, Cichewa, Dholuo, Kiswahili, Luganda, Ndebele, Runyankore, Shona, Tonga, and Tumbuka. We welcome…

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Household Food Insecurity Worries Pushed Mental Health Challenges During COVID-19 In Zimbabwe

Healthtimes

Rosalina Mutekedza (38), a single mother from Warren Park 1 in Harare is happy the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided and there is no more need for any restrictions and lockdowns to contain the spread of the diseases. By Ntokozo Gudu Above all, she is happy that now she can fend for her three children without any fear of breaking the law. She recalls how the COVID-19 induced lockdowns almost drive her into depression owing to uncertainty they brought. I was worried. During the first 21 days of the COVID-19, i…

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EGPAF Helps Government Set-up Long COVID Clinic In Zim

Kuda Pembere

With some Zimbabweans still grappling with Long COVID, Zimbabwe needs support to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 while strengthening its pandemic preparedness and response, a top Ministry of Health and Child Care official said on Wednesday. By Kuda Pembere Addressing a Catalysing COVID-19 Action (CCA) high level stakeholder meeting, Health and Child Care Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Aspect Maunganidze represented by Epidemiology and Disease Control Director Dr Rudo Chikodzore said the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world at a time when most health systems were ill-prepared. The Catalyzing COVID-19 Action (CCA)…

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When Facts Are Not Enough: COVID-19 Pandemic Exposes Widening Gaps In Vaccine Confidence

Michael Gwarisa

“I was vaccinated because it was mandatory at work. I had two options, get vaccinated, or go home. I chose the former,” says Theresa Manongwa,* an employee with TelOne, one of Zimbabwe’s leading Telecommunications company. By Michael Gwarisa In July, 2021, TelOne, issued a statement announcing that it would send its unvaccinated staff on forced leave until the country’s COVID-19 situation had subsided. Caught between being sent on forced leave and the prospects of losing her job had the situation persisted, Theresa felt compelled to get her vaccine shots despite…

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The Big Catch Up: Zimbabwe Launches Integrated Vaccination Drive To Cover Lost Ground

Michael Gwarisa

IN a move that is set to catapult Zimbabwe’s vaccination coverage to dizzy heights, the country has already started implementing an integrated vaccination drive in communities mainly prioritizing  Human papillomavirus vaccines (HPV), COVID-19, Tetanus and Diphtheria (DT). By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s integrated vaccination drive is in line with the “The Big Catch-up”, a targeted global effort to boost vaccination among children following declines driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign is being led by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates…

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