Tag: nigeria

Zimbabwe Among 14 African Nations Facing Alarming Rise in Drug-Resistant Infections

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  Results from a newly published study highlight the growing spread of drug resistance across 14 African countries, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen laboratory testing, data systems, and health planning to tackle hard-to-treat infections. The study, known as the Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership (MAAP), is the largest of its kind ever conducted in Africa. It was led by a coalition including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), One Health Trust, and other regional partners.…

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Nigeria Leads Africa in Skin Bleaching, with 77% of Users Engaging in the Practice

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  Nigeria has the highest prevalence of skin bleaching in Africa, with 77% of its population using skin-lightening products, a new report has revealed. The November 2023 Regional Fact Sheet on Skin Bleaching in Africa, compiled by the African Health Observatory (AHO) under the World Health Organization (WHO), warns that the widespread practice poses severe health risks and remains a major public health concern. Despite global efforts to regulate and ban harmful skin-bleaching products, millions of Nigerians continue to use them, driven by social, cultural, and economic pressures.…

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Zimbabwe Among 17 African Nations to Receive WHO and Africa CDC Support for Targeted Mpox Vaccine Rollout

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has been selected as one of 17 African countries to receive targeted support for mpox vaccine development, a major initiative spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The initiative aims to bolster vaccine preparedness and deployment efforts across the continent, with a focus on effectively reaching populations most at risk of mpox. Other countries benefiting from this support include Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia,…

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Regional Progress Review Meeting for Scaled Up Peer-Led HIV Service Delivery Model Kicks Off In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Thirteen African countries are in Zimbabwe for a three-day consultation meeting to deliberate on the progress and gaps in the scaled-up Zvandiri peer provider model toward ending AIDS in children and adolescents. Zvandiri is implementing the Zvandiri model in Zimbabwe in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC). The program is a comprehensive, peer-led program focused on children, adolescents, and young adults living with HIV aged 0-24. The peers, known as community adolescent treatment supporters (CATS), are people living with HIV (PLHIV) aged 18–24…

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#JUSTIN: Zimbabwe Ready To Respond To Mpox

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Following detection of a deadly Mpox variant in several countries in the African region, Zimbabwe has enhanced its diseases surveillance systems at all entry points in a bid to effectively respond to the disease, Public Health Advisor to the President, Dr Agnes Mahomva has said. Even though Zimbabwe is yet to record an Mpox case, the virus has been detected in more than 10 African countries namley the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Uganda,  Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa. Sequencing of…

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Cholera kills over 2,300 in Nigeria’s Worst Outbreak In Years

Michael Gwarisa

Cholera has killed more than 2,300 people and infected thousands more, mostly children, in Nigeria since the start of the year, a senior health official said on Monday, in the nation’s worst outbreak in years. SOURCE: MEDICALEXPRESS Africa’s most populous nation suffers from a high rate of water-borne diseases as a result of dilapidated infrastructure and under-investment.` As at September 5, 2021, a total of 69,925 suspected cases, including 2,323 deaths, have been reported,” Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) head of communications, Yahya Disu, told AFP. Health sector sources…

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