Tag: infertility

ZAOGA’s Pastor Gandawa Speaks On Four Decades Journey With Infertility

Ntokozo Gudu

The general assumption is that men and women of the cloth are immune to certain life’s challenges and upheavals. Well, that is not the case. No one is immune to problems, especially health problems  such as infertility. Infertility is not a respecter of men and can affect anyone at any given time regardless of one’s social status, race, culture or creed. By Nthokozo Gudu Since the biblical old testament days, women  with infertility or those who failed to bear children were stigmatized against and labelled barren and society looked down…

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Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 Kicks Off In Dubai

Michael Gwarisa

THE 9th edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, a yearly educational conference conducted to contribute to Africa and Asia’s socio-economic development, has commenced in Dubai amidst growing calls for governments in Africa to make infertility treatment affordable to the general citizenry. By Michael Gwarisa The two day conference, a hybrid meeting is being attended by over 6000 delegates physically and online and these include healthcare providers, Policy makers, academia, researchers and health media from more than 70 English, French and Portuguese speaking countries. Giving her introductory remarks, Merck…

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Infertility on the rise in Zimbabwean Men

Michael Gwarisa

THERE is currently an increase in infertility in Zimbabwe owing to a myriad of factors ranging from anatomical, environmental, dietary/weight and physiological factors, reproductive health experts have warned. By Michael Gwarisa Infertility, which is defined clinically as failure to conceive after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse affects approximately 48.5 million couples globally. Data from a cross section study by consultant Obstetrician, Dr Mugove Madziyire et al which explored “The causes of infertility in women presenting to gynaecology clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe” shows that half of the causes…

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Zimbabwe Health Journalists Trained On Sensible Infertility Reporting

Michael Gwarisa

ZIMBABWE’S First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in partnership with the Merck Foundation and the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), hosted a half day training to sensitise Zimbabwean Journalists on issues around fertility and infertility. By Michael Gwarisa The development comes in the midst of a growing burden in fertility related complications in both women and men in Sub-Saharan Africa largely driven by lifestyle related health conditions and Non Communicable diseases (NCDs). Giving her remarks during the training, Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Dr Rasha Kelej said there were numerous risk…

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High Prevalence Of infertility In sub-Saharan Africa

Healthtimes

SUB-SAHARAN Africa has a high infertility prevalence compared to developed countries such as the UK and USA, an expert says. By Kudakwashe Pembere This was revealed by a Ghanaian fertility specialist Dr Ekem Hiadzi during a media training workshop which was part of the Merck Foundation Community Awareness Program. According to a WHO report from 1987 infertility is the failure of a couple to achieve a pregnancy after 1 year of unprotected intercourse. Primary infertility is if pregnancy has never occurred while secondary is if there has been a preceding…

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Covid-19 Vaccines Don’t Cause Infertility Says WHO Zimbabwe

Patricia Mashiri

REPORTS that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility in both women and men are nothing more than mere conspiracy theories and false unscientific claims, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Zimbabwe has said. By Patricia Mashiri Zimbabwe launched its national COVID-19 vaccination program in February this year after receiving its first 200 000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China. However, there has been low uptake of the vaccine owing vaccine hesitancy largely due to widespread misinformation and conspiracy theories. In an interview with HealthTimes, Dr Lincoln Charimari,the World Health Organization (WHO) Zimbabwe…

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COVID-19 Shuts Door To Infertile Women Seeking IVF Services In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

MAJORITY of women seeking In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) services could not be assisted during the COVID-19 induced lockdown restrictions despite the fact that many could be racing against their biological clock. By Michael Gwarisa In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help with fertility or prevent genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child. During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. In an interview with HealthTimes, Mwanachipo Africa Trust (MAT) Board Chairperson, Mr Heaven Munyuki said…

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Merck Foundation Marks World Artificial Reproductive Technology Day, Trains Embryologists and Fertility Specialists across Africa and Asia

Michael Gwarisa

MERCK Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany marks ‘World ART Day 2020’ through providing long term hands-on embryology training and clinical fertility specialists training to develop local Embryologists and fertility specialists to improve access to quality and cost-effective fertility care in Africa and Asia, this is as part of Merck More than a Mother campaign. Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, President of Merck More than a Mother and One of 100 Most Influential Africans (2019) emphasized, “I strongly believe in the critical role of Embryologists and…

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Infertility: Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Michael Gwarisa

JUNE is World Infertility Awareness Month and there’s no better time to be proactive about your fertility health Parenthood is undeniably one of the most universally desired goals in adulthood, and most people have life plans that include children. However, not all couples who want a pregnancy will achieve one spontaneously and a proportion will need to seek medical treatment to help resolve underlying fertility problems. It’s therefore understandable that infertility has been recognised as a public health issue worldwide by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Infertility is when you…

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5 myths about infertility

NewsRoom

INFERTILITY – the inability to get pregnant after 12 months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse – affects about 1 in 10 couples. A diagnosis can alter relationships, lead to depression and anxiety, and threaten lifelong expectations of parenthood. Thankfully, medical advances such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) have made it possible for certain couples to conceive, but these treatments carry risks and are often poorly understood. Here are five common misconceptions. Myth No. 1: Stress causes infertility An article on WebMD claims that doctors believe “the stress of actually undergoing…

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