Zim To Become Surgical Simulation Powerhouse

ZIMBABWE is poised to become a leading continental training hub for laparoscopic surgery, a type of surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to access the inside of the abdomen (tummy) and pelvis without having to make large incisions on the skin. By Kudakwashe Pembere This is being made possible through the University of Zimbabwe International Centre for Surgical Simulation following the recent commissioning of laparoscopic equipment from Karl Storz SE & Co. KG, a leading global manufacturer of laparoscopic equipment for the training center  at the University of Zimbabwe (U).…

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US avails USD15 million for Zim malaria fight

THE United States of America President’s Malaria Initiative (US PMI) last year disbursed USD15 million to Zimbabwe for activities meant to combat Malaria. By Kuda Pembere The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deathsworldwide in 2020; an estimated 602,000 malaria deaths (96 percent) were in Africa and 80 percent of these deaths in Africa were in children under five. The WHO estimated that $6.8 billion was needed to fight malaria in 2020; current global funding for malaria is around $3.3 billion annually and despite…

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Angels Foundation Launches Men’s Month Campaign

Angels Foundation Zimbabwe says it will be launching a Men’s Month in coming June as a way to celebrate the sacrifices of men as fathers, uncles, brothers and sons in society and it will be celebrated every year going forward. Staff Reporter Speaking to HealthTimes, Mr Edmore Munyoro said men in general have a poor health seeking behaviour and the launch will try to address that. Angels Foundation Zimbabwe has chosen June because of Father’s day that is celebrated yearly in that month as the organization aims to raise awareness…

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Local NGO Takes TB Fight to Mining Communities

THE Disaster and Environmental Management Trust (DEMT) has been contracted by the Stop TB Partnership/ UNOPS to implement a project called Promoting meaningful Community involvement in the Zimbabwe National TB Program through Community Disease Committees in Mutoko and Mudzi Rural Districts of Zimbabwe. By Staff Reporter Speaking to HealthTimes, Romeo Chingezi, the project coordinator said both districts are giant mining areas, Mutoko produces over 70% of granite of granite output in Zimbabwe while Mudzi has over 5000 artisanal gold miners. The sizeable incomes from mining are promoting sex work which…

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Zim’s high neo-natal mortality needs urgent attention-Rusike

THE number of children dying within their first 28 days of life has remained high and unchanged over the past 33 years at the back of numerous factors such as malnutrition amongst a host of others, a United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said. By Michael Gwarisa Neo-natal mortality refers to the number of deaths during the first 28 completed days of life per 1000 live births in a given year or other period. According to UNCEF’s Annual Report for the year 2021, neo-natal mortality rate has remained practically unchanged…

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Zimbabwe evaluates progress of its AMR National Action Plan

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), is a growing threat where the substances (“antimicrobials”) used to kill or neutralize pathogens lose their effectiveness. FAO Communication Department Every year, on average, 700,000 people die because of AMR, this number without global action, will continue to rise in tandem with food production losses leading to food insecurity. More recently, a research has shown that around five million human deaths were associated with AMR in 2019. To combat such a crisis, in 2015 and using a One-Health (OH) approach, three leading Tripartite organizations (the Food and Agriculture…

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Supporting HIV services for flood survivors in KwaZulu-Natal

Since floods killed 440 people and left many thousands more homeless last week in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, UNAIDS has been working with communities, civil society and government leaders to respond. Own Correspondent Together with the UN system in South Africa, donors and other partners, UNAIDS has been urgently evaluating the needs of thousands of people living with HIV who were directly impacted by the flash flooding. Swollen rivers and landslides damaged more than 600 schools and 66 health care facilities, while many homes have been left without running water…

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Right to Mobility Organisation Donates Wheelchairs To Persons With Disabilities

CHILDREN and young adults with disabilities from Mazowe, Chitungwiza, Harare, Masvingo and Zaka received wheelchairs from a charity organization named Right to Mobility last Saturday. By Kudakwashe Pembere The organization still in its infancy, managed to source these wheelchairs for the children with disabilities from various individuals in the United Kingdom. Set up by one Yvonne Chikasha also known as Mai Todaishe based in Canada, the organization has been using Facebook as a platform to mobilize resources for persons with disabilities. Explaining how this organisation came about, Mr Donald Chikasha,…

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Here are five ways MSF teams are supporting malaria prevention in Tanzania:

Preventing and treating malaria in Nduta Camp and neighboring villages Monday, April 25, 2022 — In Kigoma region, in north-western Tanzania, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been providing health care to Burundian refugees living in Nduta camp, as well as Tanzanians in neighbouring host communities for over eight years. During the rainy season, malaria is highly endemic, leaving its residents vulnerable to contracting malaria year-round. The risk of exposure to malaria is especially high in February, March and April, due to the rainy season, when stagnant water and puddles offer…

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Over 1 million African children protected by first malaria vaccine

MORE than 1 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have received one or more doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine, thanks to a pilot programme coordinated by WHO. The malaria vaccine pilots, first launched by the Government of Malawi in April 2019, have shown that the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine is safe and feasible to deliver, and that it substantially reduces deadly severe malaria. These findings paved the way for the historic October 2021 WHO recommendation for the expanded use of RTS,S among children living in settings with moderate…

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