CWGH Archives - HealthTimes

Trading the spanner for Universal Health Coverage…The meteoric rise of Itai Rusike into public health stardom

August 13, 2022August 13, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

To many, he is just an ordinary human being and a health activist with a zeal for health issues. Some call him Wadyegora, a name synonymous with his Moyo or heart totem. Born during the liberation struggle in a place of rich mixed soils in Saruwe or Selous, Itai Josh Rusike’s or Mukoma Josh’s as he is known by many, knew at a tender age that he was destined for greatness on this earth. Over the years, Itai has grown into becoming one of the leading Public Health Voices in…

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Time For Zimbabwe To Rope In Community Civil Society Organisations In AMR Fight

February 3, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

THE world is fast sleep walking towards another deadly pandemic that could wipe out an entire civilisation if something is not done urgently. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) or the silent pandemic as many epidemiologist have dubbed it, is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity, exposing both humans and animals to catastrophic consequences. By Michael Gwarisa Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms evolve mechanisms that protect them from the effects of antimicrobials or agents that kill microorganisms or stops their growth. Antibiotic resistance is a subset of AMR…

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Zimbabwe Urged To Invest Heavily Towards Biomedical HIV Prevention Research

November 22, 2021November 22, 2021 Michael Gwarisa

THERE is need for Zimbabwe to mobilise domestic financial and technical resources for the purposes of enhancing HIV Biomedical research and development, experts have said. By Michael Gwarisa This was revealed during a mini Biomedical HIV-Prevention Forum (BHPF) that was held in Harare. The Biennial Forum is an official pre-conference of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA). The BHPF in 2021 is the fifth such event, following the successful events hosted in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Three countries, Cote d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe and Rwanda will be hosting…

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Govt Should Strengthen COVID-19 Surveillance Ahead Of Festive Season- Rusike

October 26, 2021 Patricia Mashiri

THE Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) Executive Director, Mr Itai Rusike has warned that the relaxation of international and regional travel restrictions will likely lead to uncontrolled importation of new COVID-10 variants especially during the forthcoming festive season. By Patricia Mashiri His call comes at the back of emerging highly virulent coronavirus variants in other parts of the world that have seen countries such as China closing schools and travel while Russia and United Kingdom (UK) have also started wittiness a massive surge in cases and deaths. Speaking to…

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Zim Citizens Warned against Complacency….As New Delta Sub-Variant Wreaks Havoc

October 22, 2021 Michael Gwarisa

NEW coronavirus strains including a Delta variant sub-strain are already giving the world headaches, amidst indications that countries such as Russia and United Kingdom and even China have started recording record high death tolls and new infections linked to new strains. By Michael Gwarisa According to the Russian federal agency inspecting consumer rights protection and human wellbeing, several cases of AY.4.2, a new Delta sub-variant of coronavirus were already being detected. A report by Russia’s coronavirus emergency task force, indicates that the COVID-19 cases went up by 36,339 over the…

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Community Health Workers Go Digital

October 5, 2021October 5, 2021 Healthtimes

WHEN Nelson Mwanawenyu, a nurse at a plantation estate clinic in Manicaland province applied for a position with a private health institution in the city of Mutare, he was told the interview would be conducted through the Skype social media platform. By Caiphas Chimhete, CWGH He innocently asked the secretary who had phoned him to give exact directions to Skype, which he thought were some magnificent building in the mountainous city. Mwanawenyu’s enquiry sent the secretary into a bout of laughter. She however later explained to him that Skype was…

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Zim Vaccination Momentum Fading After Easing Of Lockdown

September 10, 2021 Healthtimes

THE relaxation of COVID-19 containment measures over the past two weeks and the downgrading of the lockdown restrictions from level 4 to level 2 have resulted in the reduction in daily COVID-19 vaccination numbers, a development experts fear could work against the country’s target of attaining herd immunity by December 2021. By Patricia Mashiri and Michael Gwarisa Even though the numbers seem to be on an upward trajectory, data from the Ministry of Health vaccination figures since beginning of September show an inconsistently fluctuating trend. Figures from Daily Situation reports…

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COVAXIN Jab Recipients Haven’t Received Second Dose Five Months Down The Line

September 3, 2021September 3, 2021 Michael Gwarisa

GETTING the second dose of the COVAXIN vaccine is proving to be a mammoth task for thousands of Zimbabweans who received the first dose of Indian manufactured vaccine with evidence on the ground showing that majority who received their jabs in May haven’t received their second shots to date, HealthTimes has learnt. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has to date received 35,000 doses of the COVAXIN from the 75 000 doses that were pledged by the government of India at the beginning of the National vaccination program. The country is yet…

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Broken Down Zim Health System Blamed For Community COVID-19 Deaths

August 25, 2021August 25, 2021 Michael Gwarisa

LACK of basic medications and requisite equipment in most of Zimbabwe’s health institutions both primary and public health facilities has led to poor health seeking behavior by citizens, leading to a spike in community COVID-19 deaths and uncontrolled community transmissions, Mr Itai Rusike, the Executive Director for the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has said. By Michael Gwarisa His remarks come at the back of recent revelations by tow of the College of Primary Healthcare Physicians in Zimbabwe (CPCPZ) and the Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians (ZCPHP) that…

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Report Dirty Officers Taking Bribes To Allow Bars To Operate Beyond Curfew-Nyathi

August 17, 2021 Patricia Mashiri

OFFICERS from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) are reportedly taking brides from liquor and merchants and bar owners to allow them to operate way into the night despite government having issued a six to six Curfew as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. By Patricia Mashiri A snap survey by HealthTimes recently shows that bars as well as shebeen operators in both rural and some urban settings were operating beyond the stipulated time. In Harare, places like Dzivarasekwa, Kuwadzana 3, Budiriro, Glenview had thriving shebeens operating throughout…

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