Tag: GAVI

Zambia launches malaria vaccine to protect over half a million children

Michael Gwarisa

Lusaka – The Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Ministry of Health, today officially launched the malaria vaccine (R21/Matrix-M) as part of its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), marking a historic milestone in the country’s fight against malaria. Over 500 000 children aged 6‒8 months will be vaccinated in the months following the launch. Malaria remains one of Zambia’s leading causes of illness and death, particularly among children under five years of age. In 2023 alone, malaria incidence among this age group rose to 523 cases per 1000 population, according to the…

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Securing a Healthier Future: Global Leaders Target Malaria and Maternal & Child Health at UNGA80

Michael Gwarisa

New York, 24 September 2025 — On the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), world leaders and heads of state convened for a landmark event titled “Uniting for Global Health Security.” The gathering was jointly hosted by the Global Leaders Network (GLN) for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (WCAH) and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA). The meeting came at a time when overlapping global crises are testing fragile health systems. From conflict and displacement to climate emergencies and economic shocks, resources are being diverted away from…

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UNICEF Issues Emergency Tender To Secure Mpox Vaccines For Crisis-hit African Countries

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter UNICEF has announced that it has issued an emergency tender for the procurement of mpox vaccines. Vaccines can play a critical role in containing the mpox outbreak which was declared a public health emergency by both the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The UNICEF tender is issued to help secure mpox vaccines for the hardest hit countries in collaboration with Africa CDC, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, the Pan American Health Organization and other partners. This collaboration…

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Bulilima Malnutrition Cure Rate Jumps To 74 Percent

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere in Bulilima Bulilima has been the most improved district in the country raising its malnutrition cure rate from 39 percent in 2022 leaping to 74 percent the following year,  HealthTimes has learned. In an exclusive interview during a Mat South Health Resilience Fund (HRF) impact assessment media tour, Matabeleland South Provincial Nutrition officer, Innocent Mazarura said the district used to record a poor cure rate over the years. Cure rate is for all malnutrition cases including children under five. And actually, I want to zero in to…

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Zim targets 4.2 million children in emergency polio vaccination

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere Having detected some cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV) in Harare, another has been identified in Sanyati, a district in Mashonaland West prompting Zimbabwe’s health authorities to activate an emergency vaccination campaign for children below 10 years of age this month. The vaccination blitz intends to vaccinate 4.2 million children across the country. Addressing journalists on Friday,Deputy Health and Child Care Minister Honorable Sleiman Timios Kwidini said through their surveillance mechanisms they identified a case which was confirmed via laboratory tests. “The Ministry of Health and…

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#Breaking: Zimbabwe Targets Two Million With Oral Cholera Vaccines

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to provide temporal protection against Cholera infection and severe cholera symptoms, Zimbabwe will soon be rolling out a targeted Oral Cholera vaccination program in the 57 affected districts, HealthTimes has learnt. Zimbabwe is among the 18 countries battling Cholera in the world and according to the Africa Centre for Diseases Control (Africa CDC), the widespread Cholera crisis on the continent has pushed demand for Oral Cholera Vaccines (OVC) to unprecedented levels. However, Zimbabwe has since made headway in terms of procuring vaccines and mapping…

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Zimbabwe records more than 95% measles vaccination coverage in Apostolic sects

Michael Gwarisa

FOLLOWING a measles outbreak that spread throughout the country in 2022, killing and infecting mainly unvaccinated children from apostolic sects in Zimbabwe, the country has witnessed an increase in coverage for measles vaccination in apostolic groups. By Michael Gwarisa The measles outbreak was first recorded in Mutasa District in Manicaland Province where several unvaccinated children from the Marange Apostolic sect, a highly vaccine hesitant group, succumbed to Measles before spreading to some parts of Mashonaland and Midlands provinces. According to data from Amnesty International Zimbabwe, 750 children below the age…

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GAVI reduces funding towards Zimbabwe’s Immunisation programs

Kuda Pembere

Zimbabwe needs to increase its domestic funding towards health care particularly the childhood immunization program to cushion itself from the impacts of the accelerated weaning off the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) co-financing facility, HealthTimes has learnt. By Kudakwashe Pembere In the short term, Zimbabwe could become ineligible for the GAVI financing facility since it is reporting an increase its gross national income (GNI) in its journey towards the ambitious upper middle-income status by 2030. The country saw a reduction of GAVI financing for most of its health…

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Strive Masiyiwa Blows Top Over Vaccine Apartheid…As Africa Battles Third Wave Without Vaccines

Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWEAN business mogul and African Union special envoy, Dr Strive Masiyiwa has taken a swipe at the COVAX facility’s for sidelining Africa and failing to deliver the 700 million vaccine doses to the continent as was initially agreed early this year. By Michael Gwarisa COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX, is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the World Health Organization (WHO). However, according to Dr Masiyiwa, the facility has not been…

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Compensation For COVAX Vaccine Recipients Who Develop Serious Reactions

Michael Gwarisa

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has signed a no -fault compensation deal which will see  a lump-sum payment being made to recipients of the the COVAX vaccine who would have developed serious side effects and reaction getting paid for damages that would have occurred. By Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organization (WHO) and Chubb Limited (NYSE: CB), through ESIS Inc., a Chubb company, signed an agreement on behalf of the COVAX Facility on 17 February 2021 for the administration of a no-fault compensation programme for the 92 low- and middle-income…

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