United States launches program For orphans and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the launch of Pathways, a five-year $35 million program that will offer services to 250,000 HIV-affected orphans and vulnerable children, 59,500 households, and 15,000 vulnerable youth. HealthTimes Reporter USAID/Zimbabwe Mission Director Stephanie Funk stated: “USAID’s Pathways program will ensure that HIV-affected and infected children can access health services, including HIV prevention, care, and treatment, as well as prevention of and response to gender-based violence.” Operating in nine districts in Zimbabwe with high HIV burden, Pathways will put communities on a…

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Traditional Healers To Patent Medicines

TRADITIONAL healers are working towards patenting as well as improve on the packaging of traditional medicines and herbs in a bid to protect their works against duplication as well as keep in touch with developing business trends. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking at a Zimbabwe National Practitioners  (ZINIPA) meeting in Harare, ZINIPA founding President, Mr  Friday Chishanyu said it was time traditional healers move from old ways of doing business if they are to realize meaningful profits from their works. “We want to patent our work so as to avoid duplication…

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The Power of Virginity

In Zimbabwe there are many myths around the subject of virginity and menstrual blood. By Hazel Stede The Myths: 1 Some people believe women should not walk among the cattle when they are menstruating as they may cause the cattle to lose their skin. 2 A woman must not put salt in the cooking or someone may get sick. 3 Women, when they are menstruating are unclean and not permitted to attend certain gatherings or church services. 4 If a man sleeps with a woman when she is menstruating, his…

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Sex Workers Conference Expose Health Workers Unprofessionalism

NEGATIVE attitudes coupled with high level stigma by nursing and other health staff at various health centers is to blame for the high Anti Retro-viral Treatment (ART) default rate among sex workers in various parts of the country, sex worker organisations have said. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Gweru These revelations were made by sex worker organisations at the just ended National Sex Workers conference that was hosted by the Zimbabwe Aids Network (ZAN) in Gweru which aimed among other things to deliberate on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) issues…

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Vasectomy At 1% In Zim

UPTAKE of vasectomy, which is a surgical procedure for male sterilization or permanent contraception is currently very low in Zimbabwe owing to deep rooted cultural beliefs, fear,  amongst a host of other factors, a top health official has said. By Michael Gwarisa In an interview with HealthTimes, Director family health in the ministry of health and child care (MoHCC), Dr Bernard Madzima said uptake of the service was till very low but efforts were underway to ensure men get informed and educated about the issue so as to increase awareness and…

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Q&A: Unitaid looks to break down silos for better global health

By Gloria Pallares GENEVA — The global health community is increasingly moving away from a siloed approach — favored in the height of the battle against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria — toward a more integrated methodology in the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals. Unitaid, a Geneva-based organization that invests in new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat the three pandemics, is one of the actors leading this paradigm shift alongside innovators from the private sector, governments, and donors. In April, Unitaid launched a call to improve fever diagnosis in children in…

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Balloons, disinfectant, brandy used in attempts to prevent pregnancy

Fifty years ago, world leaders recognized family planning as a human right. Yet safe and reliable forms of contraception remain out of reach for hundreds of millions of people. UNFPA has collected dozens of examples of the ineffective – and even harmful – strategies people resort to while trying to prevent pregnancy, described in a new feature, “Unsafe, unreliable: Dangerous pregnancy prevention methods.” SOURCE: UNFPA These methods, often based on rumours and myths, range from damaging chemicals like disinfectants to household supplies like kitchen sponges. They include practices entirely without scientific…

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2.2 Million Zim Women Using Family Planning Methods

ZIMBABWE has a total of 2.2 million users of modern day family planning methods amidst indications that the country is close to attaining the 2020 target which aims to increase the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR)  from the current 66 percent to 68 percent. By Michael Gwarisa Addressing a media conference ahead of the World Population Day celebrations 2018, Director Family Health in the ministry of health and child care (MoHCC), Dr Bernard Madzima said although Zimbabwe has made significant strides towards availing  quality family planning services to the population, more still needed…

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Nyaradzo to set up UK branch by year end

Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance Company has said it is targeting to set up operations in the United Kingdom by year end having, successfully expanded into South Africa as part of the group’s regional and global expansion drive. SOURCE: FINANCIAL EXPRESS The United Kingdom is the second biggest destination for Zimbabwean migrants, after South Africa. At the launch of the Sahwira International Plan (SIP), Nyaradzo chief executive officer Philip Mataranyika said the group’s expansion drive is now beginning to bear fruit with Zimbabweans abroad, particularly in South Africa, where people now have…

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12 Die of Common Flu

THE ongoing cold spell which has been reported as one of Zimbabwe’s most brutal winter has left a trail of destruction with a total of  12 deaths having been recorded so far. HealthTimes Reporter According to statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, “a total of 9 962 suspected common cold/influenza cases and no death were reported during the week ending 24 June 2018. The cumulative figures for common cold/influenza are 792 447 cases and 12 deaths.”   Worldwide, the flu results in three million to five million…

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