UNDP Officially Hands Over Masvingo Natpharm Warehouse to Zimbabwe Government

By Michael Gwarisa in Masvingo Health facilities in Masvingo Province are set to benefit from a multi-million dollar Natpharm Pharmaceutical Warehouse facility constructed through a partnership between the government of Zimbabwe, the Global Fund and the United Nations Development Porgramme (UNDP). The 2,460 square meters new warehouse for NatPharm in Masvingo which holds 2,988 pallet spaces was constructed at a cost of US$ 3,667,724.51. Construction started in 2017 to be completed and handed over to NatPharm for occupation in the first quarter of 2020. Officiating the official handover ceremony of…

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The Daring Five: Zim Female Riders Break Glass Ceiling In Male-Dominated Specimen Transportation Industry

By Michael Gwarisa in Shamva She probably has the most beautiful smile in Shamva, but don’t let that fool you. Rosemary Sibanda is a goal-getter, confident, bold and aiming for greater heights in her career as a rider working under Zimbabwe’s Integrated Specimen Transportation System (IST). Being caregivers, women find it difficult to penetrate male-dominated fields, and in most cases, employers prefer males to females for certain roles. Despite the many years of female activism and women empowerment advocacy, the gender gap in the professional world has not been closed.…

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How Motorbikes Have Bridged Diagnostic and Specimen Collection Gap In Rural Zimbabwe

By Michael Gwarisa in Gokwe, Nembudziya It’s around 12 midday, and the sun is blazing hot despite it being winter in Zimbabwe. There is not much activity, left for the chatter of a few old men seated around a pot of opaque beer at a nearby homestead. From a distance, a buzzing sound like that of bees or hornets approaches from the southern side of Kuwirirana Clinic, a health facility in Gokwe Nembudiziya. As the whirring gets closer, a Biker on a motorcycle emerges from a thick cloud of dust…

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Integrated Specimen Transportation System Modernises Zimbabwe’s Disease Diagnostics and Monitoring Systems

By Michael Gwarisa in Bulawayo Zimbabwe has scaled-up disease diagnosis, treatment as well as improve success monitoring management of patients at the back of an Integrated Specimen Transportation (IST) system, the HealthTimes has learnt. Funded by the Global Fund, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the IST program is being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), through the Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI). The IST program was rolled out in 2021, and is now in 63 districts and 2000 health facilities, where it aims…

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