Russia unveils coronavirus vaccine, claiming victory in global race before final testing is complete

Healthtimes

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that the country has become the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, with production and tens of thousands of inoculations to follow. SOURCE: Washington Post Officials have pledged to vaccinate millions of people, including teachers and front line health-care workers, with the experimental coronavirus vaccine beginning this month, raising global alarm that the country is jumping dangerously ahead of critical, large scale testing that is essential to determine if it is safe and effective. Russian officials…

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Zimnat Launches SMEs LifeAID Group Life Cover

Healthtimes

ZIMNAT Life Assurance has launched a new group life insurance cover for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to enable them to provide life insurance for their employees. HealthTimes Reporter The new product, which is called Zimnat SMEs LifeAID, comes at a time when life assurance has become particularly important given the continuing sharp rise in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases and deaths. It is the latest in a series of new products launched by the Zimnat group over the past six months, as the financial services giant continues to…

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DeepEye Initiative: A new innovation to reduce child pneumonia deaths in Zimbabwe

NewsRoom
Esau Mhandu and Ronald Tumuhairwe with their Social Venture Challenge awards at the Mastercard Foundation Baobab Summit in Kigali, Rwanda

PNEUMONIA can be deadly for children under the age of five, but it can be treated with the right diagnosis and medical intervention. However, the cost of such tests is beyond the reach of many families in Zimbabwe. Now, two students from Ashesi University have designed a low-cost solution that could lead to better diagnoses and save lives. By Pius Sawa Murefu The DeepEye Initiative was started by 24-year-old Esau Mhandu from Murewa, Zimbabwe and his Ugandan partner Ronald Tumuhairwe, also 24. The two recent graduates met while studying in…

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Parirenyatwa Hospital Running Out Of Beds To Admit COVID-19 Patients- Audit

Michael Gwarisa

THE prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has exerted pressure on the country’s biggest referral hospital’s admission capacity amidst indications that the institution is running out of beds to admit new patients, an audit report of the facility for the period July 1 to July 24 2020 has revealed By Michael Gwarisa The beds shortage also comes at a time  the country is battling a COVID-19 pandemic which has already claimed 104 lives and infected 4649 in Zimbabwe. The audit report which was conducted by Parirenyatwa Hospital’s Clinical Team which comprised of Doctors…

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3 Week Old Baby Becomes Latest and Youngest Zim COVID-19 Death

Michael Gwarisa

A three weeks old baby has become Zimbabwe’s latest COVID-19 casualty, bringing the cumulative number of deaths to 102. By Michael Gwarisa The baby is also the youngest case and death to have ever been reported in the country since the disease was reported in Zimbabwe in March this year. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s (MoHCC) daily update, the baby together with other five deaths were recorded yesterday. Today we regret to report five deaths which were recorded from 3-5 August 2020 in the community and…

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Gvt, UNFPA Raise Concern Over Widening Contraceptive Gap Due To COVID-19

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have bemoaned the challenges being faced by women  and girls to access contraceptives and family planning services during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking during a Virtual Media briefing to commemorate World Population Day which ran under theme, “Putting the brakes on COVID-19: How to Safeguard the Health and Rights of Women and Girls Now?” Women Affairs Minister, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni said the lockdown had made access to critical contraceptives…

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SAT, Partners Host Young People’s SRHR & COVID-19 Community Awareness Campaign

Michael Gwarisa

THE Southern African AIDS Trust (SAT Zimbabwe) together with the Youth Aspire Development Trust (YADT) and the Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) yesterday held a full day community awareness campaign in Chitungwiza to sensitize young people and the community on available Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services. By Michael Gwarisa In an interview with HealthTimes, SAT Zimbabwe SRHR Youth Officer Vimbai Nyika said the youth hub outreach was aimed at disseminating information on SRHR and COVID-19 since there is a strong intersection between the two components. With the coming…

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MacKenzie Scott invests in the Deworming Innovation Fund

Michael Gwarisa
MacKenize-Scott-Forbes-Photo

MACKENZIE Scott, philanthropist and novelist, recently announced that she will be supporting the work of select global organizations driving transformational social change. By Michael Gwarisa This update comes a year after her Giving Pledge commitment, where she made it known that she will be giving the majority of her wealth back to the society that helped generate it. She is supporting organizations including the END Fund, a global health organization working to end neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Specifically, she is investing in the Deworming Innovation Fund – a six-year Audacious…

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Blow For Pregnant Women: As Pare Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Suspend Services After Several Colleagues Test Positive For COVID-19

Michael Gwarisa

SENIOR Resident Medical Officers (SRMOS) doing Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Parirenyatwa Hospital have indicated that they won’t be able to continue offering services following indications that majority of Obstetricians and Gynecologists operating in the maternity wards have tested positive for the COVID-19. By Michael Gwarisa In a communication Parirenyatwa Hospital Clinical Director Dr Maunganide and Dr Mhlanga the head of Department Obstetrics and Gynaecobgy, the doctors said continuing with their duties was tantamount to a death sentence as majority of their colleagues in the maternity wards had either tested positive…

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26 ZANU PF HQ Staffers Test Positive For COVID-19

Healthtimes

ZANU-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity and Party Spokesperson, Mr Patrick Chinamasa has confirmed that 26 ZANU PF employees have tested positive for COVID-19. HealthTimes Reporter In a statement, Mr Chinamsa said the affected have since been quarantined in compliance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) requirements. In compliance with the WHO protocols requiring institutions and individuals to be tested for COVID-19, ZANU PF directed that its staff members working at the Headquarters be tested for COVID-19. “The total number of personnel who underwent mandatory testing on 28 July 2020…

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