Tech-Health News Archives

Local telehealth service provider teams up with US based company

September 30, 2024 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…

Zim scientists discover cancer cure

September 5, 2024September 7, 2024 Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere As the search for a cancer cure is under way across the globe, a team of Zimbabwean born scientists say they discovered compounds using artificial intelligence, mathematical modelling and machine learning. The algorithm targets cancer cells without interfering the normal healthy cells. These scientists are working alongside the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg. The lead scientist for this project is Harare Institute of Public Health (HIPH) chairperson and Head of the Mathematics School at the University of Witwatersrand Professor Simon Mukwembi working with the…

Major Boost For Harare Cholera Fight As Red Cross Donates Aqua Safe Water Quality Testing Kits and Gadgets

January 25, 2024January 26, 2024 Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The City of Harare health department has received five Aqua Safe Water Quality Testing Kits and gadgets from the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS), to strengthen the City’s water testing capacity and Diarrhoeal disease surveillance in Harare, HealthTimes has learnt. The donation is a brainchild of the “Integrated Strategy for Cholera Risk Elimination and Mitigation” project funded by the Finnish Red Cross and the European Union (DG ECHO). The water quality test kits and gadgets will be used to strengthen water quality surveillance in the project target…

Zimbabwe Developer Launches Whatsapp Chatbot To Connect Zimbabweans To Pharmacies

January 18, 2024January 18, 2024 Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a move that is set to ease hurdles associated with accessing medicines and other essential drugs at community level, a Zimbabwean Chatbot Engineer, Blessing Museki and his team, have developed Cloomi, a Whatsapp Chatbot that is set to link millions of Zimbabweans to pharmacies. To date, 60 pharmacies across Harare have already partnered with the developers. HealthTimes had the opportunity to interact with a convenient platform which allows one to quickly check the availability of drugs and compare prices. The Chatbot’s user-friendly interface simplifies the process,…

Getting Tough On Vaping Drives People Into Smoking Combustible Tobacco

September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

Despite the massive crackdown on smoking in the form of bans and taxes, coupled with well-coordinated misinformation around emerging Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) alternatives, World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows that at least 8 million smokers continue to die from smoking-related diseases on an annual basis while one million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke also die from passive smoking. By Michael Gwarisa Overall smoking rates in Africa remain low by international comparisons, with a prevalence of 8.4 percent across the continent. While smoking prevalence is relatively low on…

Zim startup’s Cancer diagnostic application wins Cyber Cybertech Africa Security and Blockchain Hackathon

August 28, 2023August 28, 2023 Kuda Pembere

A Zimbabwean startup company which developed a computer application that detects cancers emerged the winner of this year’s Cyber Cybertech Africa Security and Blockchain Hackathon competition held in Kigali, Rwanda. By Kuda Pembere The application was developed by Clarity Technologies which comprises of four persons namely Collins Jimu and Zvikomborero Duri who are software engineers, Terry Mdiwa, a business executive and and Dr Koshesayi Madzika a lawyer. The company bagged the first prize earning themselves US$5 000 after outwitting 120 other competitors from other countries. In an interview, Mr Collins…

Zimbabwe Pilots Rapid Diagnostic Testing for Prompt Bilharzia Testing and Case Identification At Point of Care

August 3, 2023August 3, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

Professor Qin Zhiqing, an Associate Professor at the China National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPR) has been in Zimbabwe for the past two months and together with a team from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), a department in the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), they have been conducting a Schistosomiasis pilot study in Shamva District. By Michael Gwarisa As part of their study, they are also assessing the use of Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT) to detect and identify Schistosomiasis Cases in communities. At a laboratory site…

UNFPA Zimbabwe Explores Use Of Drones To Reach Women and Girls In Inaccessible Areas With Services

August 2, 2023August 2, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

The United Nations Population Fund in Zimbabwe (UNFPA-Zimbabwe), says it will soon be rolling out Drone Technology to deliver services to women and girls in hard-to-reach areas. By Michael Gwarisa The move is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which recognize innovation as critical to accelerating progress towards global development aspirations as it ensures they deliver on their three transformative results to end preventable maternal death, end unmet need for family planning, and end violence gender-based violence (GBV) and all harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child…

SAT launches YouthWyz mobile app

July 10, 2023 Kuda Pembere

THE Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Africa Trust (SAT) on Friday launched a mobile application meant to provide adolescents with information on where and how to access sexual reproductive health services. By Kuda Pembere The application was established on the back of the high demand of SRHR issues. Prior the application development, there were physical YouthWyz hubs but for ease of access to some of the services, SAT with the help of various partners and Dure Technologies, an application developer creased it YouthWyz app. YouthWyz is a digital hub I know…

Ministry of Health to deploy advanced AI Tool for TB detection

July 3, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

AT a time the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare has grown across the globe, the Ministry of Health and Child (MoHCC) is set to launch a Computer-Aided Detection Artificial Intelligence tool (CAD AI), to screen for Tuberculosis (TB). By Michael Gwarisa The move comes at a time Zimbabwe is making headway towards addressing the TB burden as evidenced by the country’s removal from the world’s top 30 list of countries heavily burdened by TB. Zimbabwe now has a double burden of TB/HIV and MDR-TB. In an interview with…