The World Health Organization and Wikimedia Foundation expand access to trusted information about COVID-19 on Wikipedia

Michael Gwarisa

The collaboration is part of a shared commitment from both organizations to ensure everyone has access to critical public health information surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that administers Wikipedia, announced today a collaboration to expand the public’s access to the latest and most reliable information about COVID-19.  The collaboration will make trusted, public health information available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license at a time when countries face continuing resurgences of COVID-19 and social stability increasingly depends on the…

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Steroids boost survival of preterm babies in low-resource settings, new study finds

Michael Gwarisa

Accurate pregnancy dating and quality care combined with the steroids are key to survival THE results of a new clinical trial, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that dexamethasone—a glucocorticoid used to treat many conditions, including rheumatic problems and severe COVID-19— can boost survival of premature babies when given to pregnant women at risk of preterm birth in low-resource settings. The WHO ACTION-I trial resolves an ongoing controversy about the efficacy of antenatal steroids for improving preterm newborn survival in low-income countries. Dexamethasone and similar drugs…

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NatPharm Decongests Harare Warehouse

Michael Gwarisa

THE National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (NatPharm), in conjunction with development partners have embarked on a decongestion exercise for the NatPharm Harare warehouse in a bid to boost efficiency and effectiveness of the warehouse. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking to Journalists on the sidelines of a media tour of the NatPharm Harare warehouse, NatPharm Board Chairman, Billy Rigava said they were just a channel through which medicines and medical supplies pass through. “As NatPharm, we are currently guided by the 2020 to 2022 board approved strategic plan. To this end, NatPharm…

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US Government Assistance to Zimbabwe tops $3.5 billion since 1980

Michael Gwarisa

The United States remains the largest provider of health and humanitarian assistance, including the U.S. President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), food assistance, and disaster relief, to the people of Zimbabwe. Since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, the U.S. government has provided over US$3.5 billion to the people of Zimbabwe, including initiatives to increase food security, support economic resilience, improve health outcomes, and promote democratic governance. “We stand by the commitments that we made to the people of Zimbabwe at independence in 1980, to work together to promote democratic institutions,…

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Breaking News On Covid-19 Rapid Testing And The Impact Of The Novel Coronavirus On Pregnancy

Michael Gwarisa
Young Preganant Women

IMPORNTANT advances in COVID-19 research, including data on testing kits and pregnancy, were released today on the third day of the 51st Union World Conference on Lung Health  which is being held virtually for the first time. This year’s event includes a special COVID-19 track featuring leading scientists Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of NIAID, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Head of the WHO’s Emerging Diseases Unit and epidemiologist Dr Michael T Osterholm. “The science around COVID-19 is still evolving and there is much we still do not know so it is…

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USAID Announces Two New Food Security Programs Totaling US$130 Million

Michael Gwarisa

THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on October 21 two new food security programs, Takunda and Amalima Loko. These five-year programs will target nearly 490,000 Zimbabweans in Matabeleland North, Masvingo, and Manicaland provinces. These two new programs will build on the United States’ investment in Zimbabwean people and tackle the root causes of food insecurity and poverty by assisting almost a half a million vulnerable Zimbabweans to transition from humanitarian assistance to resilience and self-reliance,” said USAID director Art Brown. Takunda, a Shona word meaning “We Have…

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Fake Doctor Unmasked At Parirenyatwa Hospital

Michael Gwarisa

PARIRENYATWA Group of Hospitals have handed over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) a fake medical doctor who had infiltrated the Accident and Emergency department. By Michael Gwarisa According to a Press Statement released by Parirenyatwa Hospitals, the fake doctor who had posed as a qualified physician registrar was only exposed after he inquired on how to handle a certain procedure from colleagues. The matter was discovered after our Causality Staff doubted his medical proficiency and made some inquires. The suspect has been handed over to the police who are…

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Don’t Relax As Yet, It’s Possible To Experience A COVID-19 Resurgence In Zim Says Dr Gasasira

Michael Gwarisa

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) Zimbabwe country representative, Dr Alex Gasasira says the current low COVID-19 infection rate in Zimbabwe was not a license to flaunt COVID-19 preventions measures as doing so would lead to a second wave of infections. By Michael Gwarisa His comments come at the back of increased reports that citizens were now going about their business as usual without observing physical distancing, masking and hand-washing as prescribed by the WHO guidelines.   In an interview on the sidelines of a handover ceremony of COVID-19 test kits…

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Korean Gvt Donates US$350K Worth Of COVID-19 Test Kits To Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

…As India Fifth Tranche of medicines arrive in the country THE government of the Republic of Korea has donated COVID-19 test kits valued at US$350,000 towards Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 response as part of Korea’s commitment to By Michael Gwarisa Speaking at the handover ceremony at State House in the Capital Harare, Zimbabwe President, Emerson Mngangagwa said the Korean government has been assisting Zimbabwe’s health sector in many ways especially under the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of government and the people of Zimbabwe and my own behalf, let me sincerely express…

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Zimbabwe Records Reduction In Malaria New Infections Says CDC

Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWE has made substantial progress in reducing malaria incidence compared to levels recorded a decade ago at the back of collective effort from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and increased financial and technical assistance from the United States President Malaria Initiative (PMI), the Center for Diseases Control (CDC) in Zimbabwe has said. By Michael Gwarisa The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) was launched in Zimbabwe in 2011 and is led by the USAID and implemented together with CDC. The CDC said even though there has been a…

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