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#JUSTIN: Zimbabwe Ready To Respond To Mpox

August 5, 2024 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…

#BREAKING: Zimbabwe Among Five Africa Countries Battling Anthrax Outbreak

December 12, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

By Own Correspondant Brazzaville – Five countries in East and southern Africa are experiencing anthrax outbreaks, with more than 1100 suspected cases and 20 related deaths reported since the start of the year. A total of 1166 suspected and 37 confirmed cases have been recorded in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe – where the disease is endemic, with seasonal outbreaks every year – according to data reported to World Health Organization (WHO). Of the five countries, Zambia is witnessing its largest outbreak since 2011, with nine of its 10…

Africa Needs to Strengthen Disease Surveillance and Innovation to Address Re-emerging Infectious Diseases- Dr Nyirenda

August 4, 2023August 4, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

The world is slowly recovering from the ravaging effects of COVID-19 which lasted close to three years before the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that it was no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). According to WHO data, globally, as of 2 August 2023, an estimated 6,953,743 COVID-19 deaths and 768,983,095 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been reported to WHO. By Michael Gwarisa While the risk of COVID-19 has subsided, and the rest of the world seems to be moving forward, Africa is experiencing a new wave…

Uganda approves Anti-LGBTQ Law

May 29, 2023 Healthtimes

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, his spokesperson said on Monday, defying international condemnations and the risk of sanctions from donors. Same-sex relations were already illegal in Uganda, as they are in more than 30 African countries, but the new law goes further in targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. It imposes the death penalty for so-called aggravated homosexuality, which includes having gay sex when HIV-positive, and a 20-year sentence for “promoting” homosexuality. ALSO READ | Uganda outlaws identifying as LGBTQ,…

Gay People are sick in the head says Museveni

April 22, 2023April 22, 2023 Healthtimes

Uganda Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka recently informed President Yoweri Museveni that the Anti-Homsexuality bill if passed by Parliament in its current form criminalizes even those who voluntarily come out to have practiced homosexuality and need to be helped. By Staff Reporter The development resulted in President Museveni returning the controversial bill to parliament for fine-tuning citing that it was silent on psychologically disoriented persons and how it intends to deal with those who voluntarily come out as gay and how they will be helped to access mental rehabilitation services. Once…

Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Ban To Reverse HIV/AIDS Gains Says PEPFAR

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

THE recently appointed leader of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Ambassador Dr. John N. Nkengasong says the recent move by the Ugandan government to pass a bill that makes identifying as LGBT a crime punishable by death, was not only inhuman but jeopardizes HIV efforts. By Michael Gwarisa According to results of the 2020 Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA), the current prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 years in Uganda is 5.5 percent. However in Uganda, it is estimated that there are…

#BREAKING: Uganda Declares End Of Ebola Outbreak

January 11, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

Uganda today declared the end of the Ebola disease outbreak caused by Sudan ebolavirus, less than four months after the first case was confirmed in the country’s central Mubende district on 20 September 2022. Uganda put a swift end to the Ebola outbreak by ramping up key control measures such as surveillance, contact tracing and infection, prevention and control. While we expanded our efforts to put a strong response in place across the nine affected districts, the magic bullet has been our communities who understood the importance of doing what…

Merck Foundation Trains 100 African Cardiovascular Experts

September 29, 2021September 29, 2021 Healthtimes

Merck Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Medical Societies, and Academia celebrated the World Heart Day by providing one-year Post-Graduate Diploma and two-year Master degree in Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine to 100 doctors from 25 countries in Africa and Asia. By Patricia Mashiri The initiative shows commitment towards building Cardiovascular preventive care capacity in Africa, Asia and beyond. Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation said he was proud of the training they have been providing so far in…

Zim Prepared To Deal With Ebola- Gvt

July 24, 2019 Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWE just like any other country in the region, is not safe from the Ebola outbreak which has already been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a top government official has said. By Michael Gwarisa In an interview, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Dr Agnes Mahomva said Zimbabwe takes the WHO Ebola warning seriously. We stand very much guided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) we know they are a strong technical arm of the world…

Study for a child-friendly HIV treatment begins in Uganda

June 20, 2019 Michael Gwarisa

THE first patients have been enrolled in a potentially ground-breaking trial in Uganda for a capsule of granules containing four HIV drugs that can be easily administered to young children. Known as the ‘4-in-1,’ this sweet-tasting ‘fixed-dose combination’ could constitute a quantum leap in care for kids living with HIV, replacing a generation of sub-optimal HIV treatments that are difficult to give to children, or no longer recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The phase I/II study, called LOLIPOP, will provide clinical data on the 4-in-1 in infants and…