Tag: World Health Organisation

WHO Unveils New Leadership Team Amid Sweeping Structural Reforms and Workforce Reductions

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a major overhaul of its leadership and internal structure, reflecting a decisive push to improve cost efficiency and sharpen its focus on core health priorities. Speaking from Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus laid out the scale of the transformation, which includes deep organizational restructuring and significant reductions in staff numbers. In short, we are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to improve cost efficiency,” said Dr Tedros. “But even so, the hard truth is that we need…

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Cuts in Health Aid Threaten Global Health Systems – WHO Warns

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarm over the growing trend of reduced and suspended Official Development Assistance (ODA) for health, warning that such cuts are already weakening health systems in low- and middle-income countries and placing millions of lives at risk. In its latest report titled “The Impact of Suspensions and Reductions in Health ODA on Health Systems,” WHO says the decrease in global health aid has come at a critical time when many countries are still reeling from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,…

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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 Faces Rising Breast Cancer Burden-WHO Report

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  Breast cancer remains a significant public health challenge across Africa, with Zimbabwe ranking among the countries with notable incidence rates. According to the latest data from a World Health Organization (WHO) Assessment of breast cancer control capacities in the WHO African Region in 2022, Zimbabwe has an age-standardized breast cancer incidence rate of 35.34 per 100,000 population, placing it among the top 15 countries in the WHO African Region with the highest burden of the disease. The WHO report highlights stark variations in breast cancer incidence across…

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WHO Urges United States to Reconsider Withdrawal

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Following United States President Donald Trump’s recent signing of an executive order to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), the global health body has appealed to the US to rethink this decision. In a statement posted on its official Twitter (X) account, WHO expressed regret over the announcement, stating, “We hope the United States will reconsider, and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions…

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Inaugural Climate and Health Conference Rallies Africa To Take Action Against Climate-Induced Health Threats

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Although Africa contributes less than 4% of global carbon dioxide emissions, it faces some of the harshest impacts of climate change on health and the environment, leaders at the inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC2024) have stated. Public health data shows that Africa is experiencing numerous climate-linked health hazards more than other regions in the world. This largely has to do with an already weakened health system and the absence of reliable early warning systems amongst a host of other factors. According to the World Health…

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Mass Drug Administration Boosts Health Outcomes and School Attendance For Zimbabwe School Children

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Nyazura  Children at St Peters Tokoyo primary school, about 25 Kilometers from Nyazura Growth point in Makoni District, Manicaland province, have braced the chilly weather to queue for the Bilharzia and Intestinal worms medications being administered under the nationwide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) program. At Tokoyo Primary school and the nearby clinic, health workers from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) are administering Praziquantel, treatment for Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia. According to a 2021 Community-Based Mapping, Makoni District has an double endemicity of  Schistosomiasis and…

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Amref Puts A Spotlight On Widening Climate Change Induced Health Inequalities in Africa

Michael Gwarisa

“As dire as the situation is, financing for climate adaptation is only a drop in the ocean of what is needed. This scenario has been, and continues to be the reason why Africa is one of the most vulnerable continent.” By Michael Gwarisa As the world commemorates World Health Day, governments around the world are seized with addressing climate change challenges, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) data estimating that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will likely cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhoea…

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From Hundreds Of Cholera Patients To Zero Admissions: Manicaland Showcases Power Of Multisectoral Collaboration In Outbreak Response

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa It’s about 11:00 in the morning, and Tichaona Shumba (45) from Chikuni Village, Farm 157 in Mutare Rural sits quietly on his bed at Zvipiripiri Clinic. He is probably wondering how he survived Cholera despite the disease having killed many people in his district between October and December 2023. There is not much activity at the facility, left for a few men carrying out some renovations in one of the wards. A handful of Village Health Workers (VHWs) are also seated under a shed ahead of their…

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Zimbabwe Launches House to House Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A total of 2.3 million people, aged one year old and above, are set to benefit from the Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign that has been launched in Harare today. The campaign will be carried out on a  house-to-house, and cluster-to-cluster basis in 160 wards within 26 high-risk districts in seven provinces namely Harare, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands. These districts are considered the main drivers of the outbreak. Officiating at the launch, Minister of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Dr Douglass…

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