Vaccine Hesitancy Stands In The Way Of Zim’s Herd Immunity Target

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) says even though numbers of people who are now taking the vaccine have increased, the hesitancy that characterized the initial stages of national vaccination program might have slowed down progress towards inoculating 60% of the population that is required to achieve herd immunity. By Michael Gwarisa Herd immunity, or community immunity, is when a large part of the population of an area is immune to a specific disease. If enough people are resistant to the cause of a disease, such as a…

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Drug Abuse Threatens Zimbabwe’s Future Economic Prospects-Experts

Patricia Mashiri

THE prevailing substance abuse scourge in Zimbabwe could have a long term impact on the country’s economic development as more young people of productive age are getting hooked on drugs owing to a myriad of factors chief among them being the economic induced hardships and idleness. By Patricia Mashiri In an interview with HealthTimes, leading Psychologist, Dr Kudakwashe Muchena, said  there was need for communities to work with the government to win the fight against drug abuse that has reared its ugly head over the few years and has been…

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Nearly Half Of All Women Are Denied Their Bodily Autonomy, Says new UNFPA report

Healthtimes

NEARLY half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to decide whether to have sex with their partners, use contraception or seek health care, according to UNFPA’s 2021 flagship State of World Population report, released today. By Staff Reporter According to the UNFPA report, the lack of bodily autonomy has massive implications beyond the profound harms to individual women and girls: potentially depressing economic productivity, undercutting skills, and resulting in extra costs to health care and judicial systems. Through the groundbreaking report, UNFPA is measuring both women’s…

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Boarding Students Not Allowed To Travel Home For Independence Holiday

Tanaka Moyo

THE Zimbabwean cabinet has resolved that boarding school learners should not travel back home over the Independence holiday as a way of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Tanaka Moyo Speaking during a press briefing Monica Mutsvangwa, the Minister of Information and broadcasting services said the COVID-19 confirmed cases at Sacred High School were under control as it was easily detected. Last week’s outbreak at Sacred Heart School in Umzingwane District of Matabeleland South Province was easily detected and dealt with. Out of the 248 students and 33…

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NBSZ Sets 97,000 Units Blood Collection Target For 2021

Michael Gwarisa
Epharaim Mubayi

THE National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is targeting to collect an ambitious 97,500 units of blood for the year 2021 despite ongoing COVID-19 induced challenges. By Michael Gwarisa The  target also comes in the face at a time the blood bank is recovering from a dry period whereby  reserves from blood banks branches around the country had been struggling to maintain normal blood stocks  of at least least five days due to travel restrictions that saw most donors failing to access blood clinics to donate blood in the first…

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Sally Mugabe Hospital Safely Delivers 3000 Babies In 2021 First Quarter

Healthtimes

SALLY Mugabe Central Hospital (Harare Hospital) has since beginning of the year 2021 to date delivered a total 3000 babies. HealthTimes Reporter In a brief interview, Harare Hospital Chief Executive, Dr Christopher Pasi said the Hospital’s quality of service had greatly improved. I am happy to say that since that February up to now, in terms of clinical care that we are giving to people, its juts going up in leaps and bounds. We are helping people; we have delivered almost 3000 babies in the first quarter of this year.…

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Zimbabwe COVID-19 Hospitalizations Decrease

Michael Gwarisa

CABINET has announced that COVID-19 related hospitalizations have decreased over the past few weeks, signalling a positive outlook for the country battle against COVID-19. By Michael Gwarisa According to cabinet, majority of the new cases currently being recorded have mild to moderate symptoms and they don’t require hospitalization. Generally,  hospital admissions for COVID-19 cases have decreased, resulting in institutions such as the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals reclaiming areas in the Out-Patient Department for routine service provision,” said Information and Publicity Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa during a post cabinet media briefing.…

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Zimbabwe launches National Drug Master Plan

Patricia Mashiri

ZIMBABWE has launched a five-year National Drug Master Plan which runs from 2020-2025 which seeks to address a range of drug related issues. By Patricia Mashiri Dr Jasper Chimedza , the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child  (MoHCC) said there was need to address supply, demand reduction as well as control of illicit substances based on International Drug Control Conventions and in line with the principles of balanced approach to drug control. Substances that are commonly abused in Zimbabwe include alcohol (both licensed and unlicensed brews) tobacco,…

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Allergies Are Not Vaccine Side Effects- Dr Chivaura

Michael Gwarisa

FAMILY Practitioner and medical expert Dr Audrey Chivaura says not all reactions being experienced after getting COVID-19 jabs were side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines but could be as a result of underlying allergies. By Michael Gwarisa By definition, an allergy is a condition in which the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. At times the immune system reacts even to a substance or exposure to something that is not even harmless. Dr Chivaura said people should make an effort to know their allergic history before taking vaccines…

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Covid-19 Vaccines Don’t Cause Infertility Says WHO Zimbabwe

Patricia Mashiri

REPORTS that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility in both women and men are nothing more than mere conspiracy theories and false unscientific claims, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Zimbabwe has said. By Patricia Mashiri Zimbabwe launched its national COVID-19 vaccination program in February this year after receiving its first 200 000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China. However, there has been low uptake of the vaccine owing vaccine hesitancy largely due to widespread misinformation and conspiracy theories. In an interview with HealthTimes, Dr Lincoln Charimari,the World Health Organization (WHO) Zimbabwe…

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