Author: Kuda Pembere

Climate change and child malnutrition research on cards

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere While Zimbabwe is still reeling under the harsh impact of the El-Nino induced drought, researchers intend to study the nexus between climate change effects and children malnutrition in the country. Researchers from Zvitambo, a children and maternal health research institute will be doing this study in partnership with the Food and Nutrition Council (FNC), the Ministry of Health and Child Care alongside CIMMYT Zimbabwe and Cornell University from New York, USA. The research will be conducted in Murehwa and Shurugwi over a period of two years. Addressing…

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Zimbabwe’s HPV Vaccination Coverage Nosedives

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage is failing to recover from the harsh effects of the COVID-19 era with data showing that the country is off-trail and coverage has plummeted to record low levels. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora told this publication on the side-lines of the World Health Day and Expanded Programme on Immunization’s (EPI) golden jubilee commemorations held in Harare on Thursday the pandemic affected school-to-school HPV vaccination campaigns. Yes, there was a drop but this was mainly because of COVID outbreak.…

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Zim’s immunization programmes reduce neonatal mortality by 51 percent

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere Vaccines used for the immunization of children have been credited for saving six lives for every minute Zimbabweans with the country seeing a 51 percent drop in neonatal mortality. This the Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora told journalists after World Health Day and Expanded Programme on Immunization’s (EPI) golden jubilee commemorations held in Harare on Thursday. The EPI is still aiming to prevent more preventable diseases where vaccines are available. As you have heard, vaccines have life. Vaccines are having six lives every minute.…

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Zim among top priority lenacapavir recipients as Gilead licenses Hetero

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere With Zimbabwe being among the 18 top-priority recipients of lenacapavir an HIV preventive drug pending local medicines regulatory approvals, Gilead Sciences, the principal maker has granted a non-exclusive license to leading India headquartered pharmaceutical manufacturer Hetero Group of Companies to manufacture and supply the drug. Gilead’s decision comes following much advocacy by AVAC to give non-exclusive licenses for the manufacturing of lenapavir. The partnership will broaden access to this novel HIV treatment usable in combination with other antiretrovirals while supporting efforts to prevent HIV through pre-exposure prophylaxis…

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6000 rural boreholes malfunctioning: UNICEF

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere About 11 percent of the Zimbabwe’s rural boreholes were dysfunctional by August due to increasing use at a time when the country is enduring the effects of the El-Nino driven drought. This was said by United Nations Chidren’s Fund Zimbabwe (UNICEF Zimbabwe) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) specialist Tariro Mavi at a press briefing on Wednesday. Mavi said they observed an increase of borehole damage occurring each month.  She said more than 90 percent of the boreholes they surveyed in rural communities have broken down. “So, we’re…

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UNICEF Zimbabwe appeals for US$34m to mitigate El Nino’s impact on WASH

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere With the El-Nino induced drought severely affecting water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in Zimbabwe, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s is appealing for US$34 million to mitigate the impact of this climate change phenomenon. This appeal comes at a time where with increased funding much could be done to improve WASH for improved access to safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene services which are key to ensuring children’s rights to health, nutrition, education, and protection. Addressing the media, UNICEF representative to Zimbabwe Etona Ekole said…

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‘Child care centres preserve children’s health in informal employment settings’

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Amidst the rising informal employment in Zimbabwe, it is important to establish child care centres for the health and safety of children, experts and advocates said Tuesday. This came out during Validation Workshop for a Diagnostic Assessment on Provision of Care Services Through Cooperatives and Other Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Entities. A five-month country-level assessment done between October 2023 and March 2024 modeled after those conducted in Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Colombia, was implemented in Zimbabwe, with a particular emphasis on Harare. Experts and…

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Local telehealth service provider teams up with US based company

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Zimsmart Villages, a telehealth service provider and an American based company, the Samp Group have signed a partnership dubbed The Samp Zimsmart Villages Initiative in a move that is set improve health service delivery via telehealth services in Zimbabwean. The partnership will see the establishment of 150 telehealth kiosks and 750 booths over the next two years. Samp Group is a multifaceted global organization renowned for the globalization of cricket. I really like this concept as it can also fit in with us because I am based…

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316 nurses graduate at Parirenyatwa Hospital

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere A total of 316 nurses trained at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals graduated on Friday as registered general nurses, midwives, paediatric, operating theatre, renal, ophthalmic as well as intensive and coronary care nurses. Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora officiating the graduation ceremony commended Parirenyatwa Nursing School tutors for their dedication through churning out such a huge number of graduands. “Today we celebrate with the three hundred and sixteen(316) nurses that continue to raise the flag of the nation high graduating from different specialties. This is a…

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Curtain comes down on Kunda/Nqobi TB program

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The Kunda/Nqobi TB (KNTB) program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) comes to a close at a time beneficiaries are still drooling for more having screened over 1 million Zimbabweans since 2019. The USAID injected US$15 million for this project implemented by The Union Zimbabwe Trust (UZT) in partnership with Baines Occupational Health Services, Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Zimbabwe and Jointed Hands Welfare Organisation (JHWO). Addressing the close out ceremony in Harare, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora in…

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