Month: August 2017

Rwanda Overtakes Zimbabwe On Health Funding

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By Michael Gwarisa ZIMBABWE continues to lag behind in terms of allocating domestic financial resources to the health sector, falling far behind civil war stricken countries like Rwanda. According to a report dubbed “The African Regional Framework For The Implementation Of  The Global Strategy On Human Resources For Health :Workforce 2030” which was presented during the ongoing WHO 67th Regional conference in Vic falls, Rwanda was amongst the few African countries which managed to meet the Abuja Declaration target which states that governments should at least dedicate 15 percent towards…

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Regional Medicines Authority On The Cards

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By Michael Gwarisa  THE Southern African region is in the process of setting up a regional African Medicines Agency (AMA) that will oversee issues of medicines control in a bid to curb the movement of counterfeit medicines in the region. Speaking to Journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing 67th WHO Regional conference in Victoria Falls, African Union Head of Division Health, Nutrition and Population Department of Social Affairs, Dr Margaret Agama- Anyeti said the the AU was tasked by regional health  ministers to set up the the authority by 2018.…

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PEPFAR Says Zimbabwe Winning HIV War

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By Michael Gwarisa THE U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) says Zimbabwe is amongst the top four Southern African countries slowly winning the battle against the HIV epidemic. ALSO READ: Four African Countries Approaching Control of Their HIV Epidemics as U.S. Continues Its Commitment to PEPFAR Data from PEPFAR show that the HIV epidemic is coming under control across all age groups in Swaziland, the country with the highest HIV prevalence in the world and “…Additional PEPFAR-supported studies released in December 2016 for Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe demonstrate significant…

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President Mugabe Worried Over Rising Cancers

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By Michael Gwarisa PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe says the increase in non-communicable diseases  in most African countries was a cause for concern and urged governments to develop homegrown solutions to health issues affecting the continent. Officially opening the 67th edition of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee meeting today in Victoria Falls, President Mugabe said there was a worrying increase in Non-communicable diseases and new infections and there was need to act fast. “As Africa, we now face a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, in most of these…

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Hatcliff Residents Use Chlorine Tablets For Washing Clothes

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“We thank CWHG and the City Health department for installing these inline chlorinates, we are now assured that we wont have abuse of tablets as they are enclosed in the Chlorinators…..” By Michael Gwarisa RESIDENTS in Hatcliff area in Harare are using Chlorine tablets meant for purifying water as washing soap despite the  area having been declared a hot Typhoid zone due to the  Typhoid outbreak which swept across the area early this year, HealthTimes can reveal. These revelations were made by Hatcliff Councilor Naboth Manyengera during a Clean-up campaign…

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WHO Moves To Curb 2nd Line ARV Stock-outs

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By Michael Gwarisa  THE World Health Organisation (WHO) is in the process of engaging Pharmaceutical and drug manufacturing companies to negotiate on the pricing of second line Anti Retro-viral drugs to assist Zimbabwe and other struggling third world countries to ensure they access the lifesaving drugs at affordable prices. The development come in the midst of reports that Zimbabwe is experiencing massive second line Abacavir ARV drug stock-outs, putting more than 30 000 lives at risk of developing HIV drug resistance owing to discontinued uptake of  ARVs.  Briefing Journalists in…

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The Plight Of Malnourished HIV Positive Mothers In Hopely

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“We end up eating our baby’s food because the situation at times becomes so bad, there wont be any food in the house…” By Michael Gwarisa  IT’S a Wednesday morning and hundreds of women both young and old are queuing at a World Food Program (WFP) container cubicle at Hopley Satellite Clinic to get their monthly allocations of fortified food for them and their young ones. Amongst the women is one weary looking young woman seating by the long bench with her baby clutched on her back. A gaze deep…

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#BREAKING: NAC Targets Informal Sector Over AIDS Levy

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By Michael Gwarisa THE National Aids Council (NAC) is engaging government and policy makers to consider taxing the informal sector in a bid to beef up the Aids Levy coffers which are reportedly dwindling. Briefing Journalists during a Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) media engagement meeting in the capital, NAC’s National Advocacy Coordinator Trust Govera said AIDS levy collections fell in 2016 and measures were currently underway to increase domestic financing for HIV related programs and taxing the informal sector was one of them. “Government is in the process…

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Strict Medical Aid Law On The Cards

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By Michael Gwarisa PUBLIC consultations to the Medical Aid Societies Bill have commenced amid indications that the new law could usher in provisions that could completely change the medical aid societies sector’s operations. Briefing medical practitioners and members of various medical aid societies during the Medical Aid public consultative meeting this morning, Pathologist in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Maxwell Hove said the proposed bill was meant plug leakages and loopholes that currently exist under the current Statutory Instrument. “If you look closely, you see that there are…

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Allocate Foreign Currency Towards ARV Procurement-CWGH

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By Michael Gwarisa  THE Community Working Group on Heath (CWGH), has  called on government to prioritise allocation of foreign currency towards the procurement of Anti Retro Viral medicines ARVs amid revelations of massive ARV stockouts at public health centres and pharmacies. CWGH Executive director Itai Josh Rusike said it was disheartening that Zimbabwe which over the years made tremendous gains in reducing HIV/AIDS related deaths through multi-sectoral efforts, is now experiencing a serious shortage of Abacavir – a second line ARV drug to the extent that people taking that drug are…

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