Manchester Institute of Biotechnology Develops Cheaper, Sustainable Method to Produce HIV Drug Lenacapavir
Michael Gwarisa Amid growing global pressure to make Lenacapavir more affordable, researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology have developed a new method that could significantly reduce the cost and improve the sustainability of manufacturing the long-acting HIV prevention drug. Supported by funding from the Gates Foundation, the scientists applied engineering biology, a rapidly advancing
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Zimbabwe Recalls Batch of Azithromycin Over Quality Concerns
Michael Gwarisa The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has issued a Class II recall of a specific batch of Azithromycin 500mg USP tablets after a quality defect was detected, raising concerns over the drug’s effectiveness in treating bacterial infections. The affected product, Batch Number 24050191, was manufactured by Indoco Remedies Limited of India. According
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“Gore Mwana” Practice Raises Risk Of Birth Complications, Experts Warn
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s leading family planning expert and trainer with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), Thandekile Munemo, has cautioned women against closely spaced pregnancies, warning that insufficient recovery time between births can pose serious health risks for both mothers and children. The concept of “gore mwana mwawa”, a Shona phrase loosely translated as
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Mystery Haemorrhagic Illness Kills Five in Burundi
Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Burundi’s efforts to determine the cause of an illness that has led to five deaths and infected 35 people in Mpanda district, north of the East African country. While preliminary assumptions linked the ailment to Ebola or Marburg virus diseases, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever and
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EU Pledges US$750 Million to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria, Boosts AMR Response
Michael Gwarisa Amid declining donor support for health programmes in Africa and globally, the European Union has committed US$750 million (€700 million) to the Global Fund’s 8th replenishment to strengthen the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The announcement was made by Jozef Síkela, Commissioner for International Partnerships, at the One Health Summit in Lyon,
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Imperial College London Brings AI for Healthcare Training to Zimbabwe
Michael Gwarisa A team from Imperial College London has travelled to Zimbabwe to deliver an intensive training programme aimed at strengthening the use of machine learning in healthcare, as global efforts grow to harness artificial intelligence for improved health outcomes. The three day course, titled Machine Learning for Health Applications, was held in Harare from
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Maternal anaemia fuels intergenerational malnutrition in Zimbabwe
Michael Gwarisa Maternal anaemia is tightening its grip on Zimbabwe, with the latest Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) revealing a sharp and worrying rise over the past decade. In 2015, 27 percent of women of childbearing age (15 to 49) were anaemic. Today, that figure has climbed to 41.8 percent, a nearly 55 percent
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Urban Malaria Threat Looms as Invasive Mosquito Nears Southern Africa
Michael Gwarisa Malaria experts have raised alarm over an emerging invasive mosquito species capable of thriving in hot, densely populated urban environments, warning that it could complicate already fragile malaria control efforts across Africa, HealthTimes has learnt. The mosquito, known as Anopheles stephensi, originates from Southeast Asia and has, over the past decade, been detected
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Africa CDC Appoints Four Senior Advisors to Advance Health Strategy
Michael Gwarisa The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has appointed four senior advisors, a move aimed at strengthening the organisation’s capacity to respond to public health threats across the continent. The four include Ambassador Troy Fitrell (USA) as Senior Advisor on International Cooperation, Ambassador Pierre Delsaux (Belgium) as Senior Advisor on Strategic Partnership,
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AU Commission on Human Rights Urges Zimbabwe to Reconsider Gender Commission Scrapping
Michael Gwarisa The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has urged Zimbabwe to reconsider plans to scrap the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, warning that the move could undermine progress made in advancing gender equality and protecting women’s rights. The call was made following the Commission’s visit to the country as part of the Promotion Mission
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