Zimbabwe’s Civil Society Pushes for Establishment of One-Stop Centre for Safe Abortion

By Michael Gwarisa Advocates for safe abortion in Zimbabwe, comprising the Health Law Policy Consortium (HLPC) and the Institute for Young Women’s Development (IYWD), with support from the Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF), are lobbying for the establishment of a One-Stop Centre for safe abortion services. The initiative aims to address obstacles faced by women and girls in accessing abortion services. Currently, abortion in Zimbabwe is permitted under the Termination of Pregnancy Act (Chapter 15:10), enacted in 1977. The Act allows abortion in specific circumstances, including when continuing a pregnancy…

Read More

Information Gaps Drive Unintended Pregnancies Among Children Who Live On The Streets In Zimbabwe

By Kuda Pembere City life knows no sleep particularly for children living and working on the streets of the Harare Central Business District (CBD). Access to sexual reproductive health services is usually a hurdle for children due to a number of reasons. Around 11 pm, only a handful of people can be seen milling around town.  However, it is easy to spot children who live and work on the streets owing to their rugged and torn apparel. To prepare and recoup for the long nights which in most cases are…

Read More

Zimbabwe Advised To Adopt Annual Covid-19 Vaccination That Covers New Strains For High Risk Groups Amid Waning Vaccine Effectiveness

By Michael Gwarisa Data from a new study that sought to examine vaccine effectiveness in light of circulating Coronavirus variants following vaccination, has shown that the effectiveness of vaccines that were widely administered in Zimbabwe between 2021 and 2022 has weakened against emerging COVID-19 variants. The study dubbed COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and SARS CoV-2 variants in Zimbabwe: Test Negative Case-Control study, Genetic sequencing and Serology (ZIMCoVVAR) was a test-negative case-control study to evaluate the effectiveness of inactivated vaccines and was conducted from November 2022 to October 2023. The study did…

Read More

AVAC Facilitates Translation of Health and Scientific Terms Into 10 African Languages

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to bridge information gaps between scientific research and community understanding, AVAC has launched the Translation Index, a translation of health and scientific terms into vernacular languages for Six African countries. The Translation Index offers health journalists accurate translations of commonly used and essential medical terms in their native languages in six African countries namely Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. At this time the Translation Index supports the following languages: Bemba, Cichewa, Dholuo, Kiswahili, Luganda, Ndebele, Runyankore, Shona, Tonga, and Tumbuka. We welcome…

Read More

WHO updates guidelines on treatments for COVID-19

Updated risk rates for hospital admission in patients with non-severe COVID-19 The guidance includes updated risk rates for hospital admission in patients with non-severe COVID-19. The current COVID-19 virus variants tend to cause less severe disease while immunity levels are higher due to vaccination, leading to lower risks of severe illness and death for most patients. This update includes new baseline risk estimates for hospital admission in patients with non-severe COVID-19. The new ‘moderate risk’ category now includes people previously considered to be high risk including older people and/or those…

Read More

Household Food Insecurity Worries Pushed Mental Health Challenges During COVID-19 In Zimbabwe

Rosalina Mutekedza (38), a single mother from Warren Park 1 in Harare is happy the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided and there is no more need for any restrictions and lockdowns to contain the spread of the diseases. By Ntokozo Gudu Above all, she is happy that now she can fend for her three children without any fear of breaking the law. She recalls how the COVID-19 induced lockdowns almost drive her into depression owing to uncertainty they brought. I was worried. During the first 21 days of the COVID-19, i…

Read More

Health Ministry pledges support to CODEX activities

The Zimbabwean government is committed proffer high level support as well as having national CODEX activities included in the national budget, a senior health and childcare ministry official said last Wednesday. By Kuda Pembere This was said at the CODEX Trust Fund 2 inception workshop by the Permanent Secretary in the Health and Childcare Ministry Dr Aspect Maunganidze in a speech read on his behalf by Government Analyst Laboratory Director Mr Livingstone Masiyambiri. Zimbabwe successfully applied for the CTF2 in 2021, and preparations have been underway to initiate its implementation.…

Read More

EGPAF Helps Government Set-up Long COVID Clinic In Zim

With some Zimbabweans still grappling with Long COVID, Zimbabwe needs support to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 while strengthening its pandemic preparedness and response, a top Ministry of Health and Child Care official said on Wednesday. By Kuda Pembere Addressing a Catalysing COVID-19 Action (CCA) high level stakeholder meeting, Health and Child Care Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Aspect Maunganidze represented by Epidemiology and Disease Control Director Dr Rudo Chikodzore said the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world at a time when most health systems were ill-prepared. The Catalyzing COVID-19 Action (CCA)…

Read More

Zimbabwe Blows ZW$12 Billion To Pay For J&J COVID-19 Vaccines That Were Never Used

DESPITE failing to roll-out the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 Vaccines citing cold-chain  issues, the Zimbabwean government reportedly paid an amount to the tune of ZW$12 Billion  for the J&J doses in 2021. With the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) exchange rate of December 2020 stating US$1 to ZWL$82, this would amount to about US$147 million. By Kudakwashe Pembere The COVID-19 vaccination drive in Zimbabwe commenced in February 2021 to contain the disease. However, Dr Agnes Mahomva who was the COVID-19 Coordinator in the Office of the President and Cabinet…

Read More

When Facts Are Not Enough: COVID-19 Pandemic Exposes Widening Gaps In Vaccine Confidence

“I was vaccinated because it was mandatory at work. I had two options, get vaccinated, or go home. I chose the former,” says Theresa Manongwa,* an employee with TelOne, one of Zimbabwe’s leading Telecommunications company. By Michael Gwarisa In July, 2021, TelOne, issued a statement announcing that it would send its unvaccinated staff on forced leave until the country’s COVID-19 situation had subsided. Caught between being sent on forced leave and the prospects of losing her job had the situation persisted, Theresa felt compelled to get her vaccine shots despite…

Read More