Tag: IST

The Daring Five: Zim Female Riders Break Glass Ceiling In Male-Dominated Specimen Transportation Industry

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Shamva She probably has the most beautiful smile in Shamva, but don’t let that fool you. Rosemary Sibanda is a goal-getter, confident, bold and aiming for greater heights in her career as a rider working under Zimbabwe’s Integrated Specimen Transportation System (IST). Being caregivers, women find it difficult to penetrate male-dominated fields, and in most cases, employers prefer males to females for certain roles. Despite the many years of female activism and women empowerment advocacy, the gender gap in the professional world has not been closed.…

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How Motorbikes Have Bridged Diagnostic and Specimen Collection Gap In Rural Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Gokwe, Nembudziya It’s around 12 midday, and the sun is blazing hot despite it being winter in Zimbabwe. There is not much activity, left for the chatter of a few old men seated around a pot of opaque beer at a nearby homestead. From a distance, a buzzing sound like that of bees or hornets approaches from the southern side of Kuwirirana Clinic, a health facility in Gokwe Nembudiziya. As the whirring gets closer, a Biker on a motorcycle emerges from a thick cloud of dust…

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Zimbabwe’s Integrated Specimen Transportation Boosts Viral Load Coverage Across the Country

Michael Gwarisa

“We have managed to reach the 95% target because we are managing to collect the Viral Load samples and we are managing to get the results of the tests.” By Michael Gwarisa To fast-track progress towards ending AIDS by 2030, Zimbabwe has increased Viral Load (VL) testing coverage in almost all 63 districts, following the rollout of an Integrated Specimen Transportation (IST) system. The widespread rollout of the IST system commenced in 2021 and has since spread to all 2000 health facilities under the Ministry of Health and Child (MoHCC).…

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Integrated Specimen Transportation System Modernises Zimbabwe’s Disease Diagnostics and Monitoring Systems

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Bulawayo Zimbabwe has scaled-up disease diagnosis, treatment as well as improve success monitoring management of patients at the back of an Integrated Specimen Transportation (IST) system, the HealthTimes has learnt. Funded by the Global Fund, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the IST program is being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), through the Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI). The IST program was rolled out in 2021, and is now in 63 districts and 2000 health facilities, where it aims…

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