Day: September 5, 2022

Government must intensify measles awareness and vaccination campaigns

Healthtimes

The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has urged the government to intensify measles vaccination and awareness campaigns to prevent further deaths as the highly contagious disease continues to claim lives  countrywide. By Staff Reporter In a statement, CWGH Executive Director, Mr Itai Rusike said, “…the worrying statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) indicate that since the measles outbreak in Mutasa district in Manicaland province last month about 700 people, mainly from the religious sects that do not believe in vaccination, have succumbed to the disease.…

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Saving Lives and Livelihoods helping Africa fight COVID-19; One-shot at a time

Healthtimes

The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative, a $1.5 billion partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and the Africa CDC, is accelerating vaccination across the African continent. Considerable progress has been recorded across the four focus areas; purchase of vaccines for more than 65 million people, deployment of the vaccines across the continent, the development of a workforce that will manufacture vaccine in Africa and strengthening the capacity of the Africa CDC. So far, three countries have surpassed the 70% vaccination target; Seychelles (81.3%), Mauritius (76.6%0 and Rwanda (76.5%). Also, 10 countries…

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Number of COVID-19 orphans nears 150,000 in South Africa

Healthtimes

UNICEF South Africa calls for a whole of society response to protect, nurture and care for the most vulnerable children. PRETORIA, 05 September 2022 – COVID-19 associated deaths have left nearly 150,000 children as orphans, according to latest data modelling from Imperial College London, as part of the Global Reference Group for Children Affected by COVID-19: Joint Estimates and Action. That number rises to 207,400 when including children who have lost their primary or secondary caregiver, such as a grandparent. The tragic figures reiterate the importance of a holistic and…

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UNICEF is concerned about the impact of measles outbreak

Healthtimes

UNICEF is deeply concerned with the numbers of cases and deaths among children due to a measles outbreak in Zimbabwe. By Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe On 10 April 2022, Mutasa District in Manicaland Province was the first district to report a measles outbreak.  According to the latest data shared by the Government of Zimbabwe through the weekly Disease Surveillance System, a total of 6034 suspected cases, 4266 recoveries and 685 deaths have so far been recorded since the onset of the outbreak. Manicaland Province has the highest…

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WHO Urges Previously Vaccinated Children below 5 Years To Get Measles Vaccines

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THE World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Alex Gasasira has advised parents to take their children for vaccination regardless of their previous vaccination status. By Catherine Murombedzi The call comes in the midst of a raging Measles outbreak that since claimed 698 lives and infected a cumulative total of 6 291 Cases, while 4 459 have recovered. Speaking in a telephone interview, Dr Gasasira said children between 6 months to under 5 years should be vaccinated irrespective of prior vaccination status. “We urge parents and guardians to bring all…

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Ngatikurukurei nezvegwirikwiti

Dr Grant Murewanhema
Dr Grant Murewanhema

Gwirikwiti chirwere chinonyanyobata vana vadiki, chinokonzerwa nehutachiwana hwe measles virus uhwo hunopararira zvakanyanya nekuchimbidza. Na Chiremba Grant Murewanhema Hutachiwana uhwu hunowanikwa nekufema mhepo yakosorerwa nemunhu ane gwirikwiti, kana kuti nekubata nzvimbo dzinenge dzakosorerwa nemunhu ane chirwere ichi. Kutaura kuno nyika yeZimbabwe iri pakati pekurwisana nechirwere ichi chatobata vana vanokwana zviuru zvitanhatu nevanoraudzira uye chikatora upenyu hwevana vanosvika mazana manomwe. Dunhu reManicaland ndiro ranyanyobatwa nechirwere uye kurasikirwa nevana vakawanda. Chikonzero ndechekuti kudunhu iri kune vanhu vane uwandu vane chitendero chisingabvumidze kubayiwa kwenhomba. Panogona kunge paine vamwewo vana vakasarira kubayiwa nekuda kwematanho…

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What’s next for Zimbabwe’s collapsing health system?

Healthtimes

Health systems are, at their core, meant to promote, restore or maintain health. Their objective is to improve the length and quality of citizens’ life from the cradle to the grave. Health is therefore a fundamental human right. This was very clear to the different healthcare delivery administrators and practitioners in Zimbabwe for the last 42 years. But something happened along the way and Zimbabwe is now at the bottom of the pile. By Norman Nyazema During my tenure, from 1998 to 2002, as the director of the Institute of…

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