“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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River Valley Group Pledges Support for Health Facilities and Vulnerable Communities in Midlands
Staff Reporter In a strong show of commitment to charity and national development, the River Valley Group of companies has pledged to support health facilities and extend assistance to vulnerable communities in Midlands Province. The pledge was made during the Midlands Provincial Independence Ball held on Friday in Kwekwe. The annual event, hosted by the
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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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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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Zimbabwe Public Health Workers Equipped to Turn Data into Policy
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is strengthening its public health decision-making by equipping government officials with critical data analysis skills, following the completion of a six-month Data-to-Policy (D2P) training programme led by Vital Strategies. The latest cohort saw 19 participants from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small
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Nurses to Pay Less for Certificate of Good Standing
By Kuda Pembere Cabinet on Tuesday approved a reduction in the cost of obtaining a Certificate of Good Standing for nurses, lowering the fee from US$300 to a new charge that is yet to be gazetted. Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing, Information Minister Soda Zhemu said the move is part of broader efforts to ease
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‘Kufaya Mablanks’: Stigmatising Terms Keeping Zimbabwean Men Away from Fertility Clinics
Michael Gwarisa In many African contexts, a man is often measured by his virility and his ability to procreate. When this does not happen, the emotional and psychological burden of shame and pressure can be immense and deeply damaging. For 49-year-old Robson Mwenda, who has been married to his wife Liz for the past 20
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Gilead Refuses to Sell Lenacapavir to MSF Amid Rising HIV Risk
By Michael Gwarisa Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has accused pharmaceutical company Gilead of refusing to sell lenacapavir, a long acting injectable used to prevent HIV infection. MSF says the refusal follows multiple requests made over several months, including a formal meeting in which the organisation sought to purchase a
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