Meet Dr Neddy Makonza: Zimbabwe’s Fourth Female Orthopaedic Surgeon Wants to Open Doors for More Women
By Michael Gwarisa For Dr Neddy Fungisai Makonza, the journey to becoming an orthopaedic surgeon began long before she entered a medical school or stepped into an operating theatre. It began in childhood, when her late mother would call her “Doctor Neddy”, a name that would eventually become a reality after years of study, specialist
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HIV decriminalisation tested as traditional court orders woman to pay cow over alleged transmission
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe abolished a law that criminalised HIV transmission four years ago. But a recent traditional court case in Shamva has raised fresh questions about whether people living with or affected by HIV can still face punitive consequences outside the formal criminal justice system. Chief Nyamaropa, Munyaradzi Tivange, recently ordered a woman to
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Most Ebola deaths in DRC are happening outside treatment centres as care barriers deepen
By Michael Gwarisa More than two-thirds of people dying from Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are still dying in their communities, raising concerns that patients are not reaching treatment facilities early enough to survive. The latest World Health Organization situation report shows that 193 of 284 confirmed deaths recorded during
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Fiji’s HIV Epidemic Has Moved Beyond Its Initial Risk Group
By Michael Gwarisa Fiji has moved from describing HIV as an outbreak initially concentrated among people who inject drugs to declaring a national HIV emergency, as new data show the epidemic spreading beyond the population at the centre of the country’s initial response. The change marks a significant development in an HIV epidemic that has
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Zimbabwe Joins Africa-Led Trial Testing Long-Acting HIV Treatment to Protect Babies
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is set to take part in a major Africa-led clinical trial testing whether long-acting injectable HIV treatment can help prevent mothers living with HIV from passing the virus to their babies during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The Phase 3 study, known as Supporting Programmatic Maternal Viral Suppression with Long-Acting Therapy (SUPPRESS-LA), will
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Global Aid Missions launches skin cancer prevention campaign for persons with albinism
By Michael Gwarisa Global Aid Missions Zimbabwe has launched a skin cancer prevention campaign targeting persons with albinism, offering free screening and cryotherapy treatment as part of efforts to detect and manage potentially cancerous skin lesions before they become severe. The faith-based humanitarian organisation, which advocates for the health and welfare of people with albinism,
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Parliament Probes NatPharm Over Zimbabwe’s Medicine Supply Chain
By Michael Gwarisa Parliament has resumed its inquiry into Zimbabwe’s medicines supply system, with lawmakers probing the operations of the National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (NatPharm) and questioning whether public investment in medicines is translating into reliable supplies for patients. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care, chaired by Emkhandeni legislator Hon Descent
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Zimbabwe Creates New Medical Services Directorate to Strengthen Specialist and Emergency Care
By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care has established a new Directorate of Medical Services as part of a restructuring exercise aimed at strengthening the coordination and delivery of specialist, emergency and surgical services. Speaking at the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe Annual Conference, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child
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New UK Visa Rules Allow Exploited Care Workers to Leave Abusive Employers Without Losing Status
By Michael Gwarisa Thousands of migrant care workers in the United Kingdom facing exploitative or abusive working conditions could now have a crucial lifeline after the British Government changed visa rules to allow recognised victims of modern slavery to leave abusive employers without putting their immigration status at risk. The move could be particularly significant
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Healthathon 3.0: What Zimbabwe’s Health Innovation Challenge Is Telling Us
By Michael Gwarisa Two weeks ago, Cimas Health Group hosted the third edition of its Healthathon, bringing together innovators, students, health professionals and technology enthusiasts to showcase solutions to some of Zimbabwe’s healthcare challenges. Beyond the pitches, prototypes and competition for the top prize, Healthathon 3.0 offered something perhaps more important: a window into how
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