Every new baby in the UK to receive DNA testing

Every baby in the UK will have their DNA tested under a new 10-year plan for the NHS. The whole-genome sequencing will screen for hundreds of diseases and allow people to “leapfrog” killer illnesses, according to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting. Speaking to the Telegraph, he revealed plans to move the NHS towards a model of sickness prevention rather than treatment. Personalised medicine, made possible through things like DNA testing, will form a big part of that plan, with £650m pledged to genomics research by the government. “The revolution in medical science…

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AI Revolution in Healthcare: UK and Zimbabwe Unite to Drive Smart Health Systems

By Michael Gwarisa In a powerful convergence of global innovation and local ambition, the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and University College London (UCL) recently concluded a groundbreaking three-day workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and health, aimed at reimagining healthcare delivery in Africa. Held at the UZ Innovation Hub, the event brought together top academics, health professionals, researchers, and policymakers — all aligned on one message: AI is no longer a futuristic concept — it is already reshaping lives and saving them. UK Development Director Jo Abbot, in her keynote address,…

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Zimbabwe Health Minister Denies Blocking Nurses From Leaving Country

By Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care Minister, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, has dismissed allegations that Government is preventing more than 4,000 nurses from practising abroad by withholding certificates of good standing (CGS). Reports had suggested the Health Ministry was refusing to release the certificates in a bid to curb the mass exodus of healthcare workers. However, Mombeshora told journalists last Friday that CGS matters fall under the purview of the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe (NCZ), not his ministry. “I think what you are referring to are certificates of good…

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Health Resilience Fund Support Enhances Uptake Of Long-Term Family Planning Methods In Matabeleland South

By Michael Gwarisa in Gwanda The risk of unplanned pregnancies is very high in the absence of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) Family planning methods. Women in low-resource settings experience interruptions that may increase the risk of unintended and unplanned pregnancies. In most cases, the poorest couples have the highest fertility, the lowest contraceptive use and the highest unmet need for contraception. In Gwanda, Matabeleland South, women such Florence Kungai (31), from Gwanda who in the past experienced two separate occasions of contraceptive failure due to interruptions in her schedule, now…

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Zimbabwean Care Workers In The UK Reduced 21st Century Slaves: Report

Zimbabwean nationals working in the United Kingdom as carers or caregivers or caregivers are in the top three of workers being subjected to modern day slavery. While in the top three, the southern African country leads other African countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, and Botswana. By Kudakwashe Pembere This came out in a report dubbed ‘Who Cares? A REVIEW OF REPORTS OF EXPLOITATION IN THE CARE SECTOR by Unseen, a UK organization. Many a Zimbabweans have been migrating to the UK in search for greener pastures particularly in…

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Sweden Allocates US$5.8 Million to UNICEF for Child Protection Programmes

IN a move that is set to boost support for child protection programs in Zimbabwe, the government of Sweden has allocated an amount to the tune of US$5.8 Million to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), a UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. By Michael Gwarisa The funding will support different key interventions to protect children against violence, abuse and exploitation. The Swedish funding is part of the child protection fund 3, a multi-donor fund mechanism which is open to all partners entrusted in…

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Zimbabweans Go Fund To Raise Money To Repatriate Nurse Who Died In The UK

A Go-fund me initiative to raise funds to facilitate the repatriation of Divine Mupoperi, a young nurse who died in the United Kingdom has kicked off. Staff Reporter Divine relocated to the UK in Nov 2021,. However, information at hand indicates that she died in her sleep on January 9, 2022 from suspected seizure. She is survived by her 12 year old daughter & twins who are 16 months old. To donate funds for Divine’s repatriation, Click the Go-Fund me link HERE  

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Science Poised To Reignite Zimbabwe and UK’s Collaborative Efforts

RECENTLY, the Quadram Institute of researchers in conjunction with scientists from Zimbabwe published findings detailing how the SARS-CoV-2 variants were introduced and transmitted in Zimbabwe when the pandemic was first reported in March 2020. By Michael Gwarisa The Quadram Institute is a centre for food and health research stationed in the United Kingdom (UK), combining Quadram Institute Bioscience, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals’ endoscopy centre and aspects of the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School and the Faculty of Science. Even though Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom have…

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CDC Tells UK To Reconsider Vaccination Linked Travel Ban

THE Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a Specialised Technical Institution of the African Union, has issued a statement asking the United Kingdom (UK) government to reconsider their recent intended ban on travel for foreigners who would have received  other vaccines outside the United Kingdon. According to the U.K government, the restrictions which will be enforced starting at 4:00 am on Monday 4th October 2021. According to U.K government sources1, the new rules will discriminate between the recipients of COVID-19 vaccines not based on the vaccine received…

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