Tag: Professor Nicholas Midzi

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

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…

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Zimbabwe To Manufacture Praziquantel For Schistosomiasis Treatment

Michael Gwarisa

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and the China National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPD), will see Zimbabwe becoming a manufacturing powerhouse for Praziquantel, a drug used to treat Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever or bilharzia. By Michael Gwarisa This comes after Zimbabwe was selected to become the first country to benefit under the Africa-China Cooperation for the Elimination of Schistosomiasis program, which targets to capacitate African countries to manage and control the spread and infection of Bilharzia in communities.…

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Bilharzia in Zimbabwe wears a female face…Risk of HIV Infection three times higher in women with Bilharzia

Michael Gwarisa

It’s an early Monday morning, and Portia Guta (35), from Chibondo Village in Shamva District, Mashonaland Central Province, has just learned that she tested positive for Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia. Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, is an infection of the urinary tract or bowels, caused by Schistosoma (blood fluke), a flatworm parasite. By Michael Gwrisa in Shamva District Portia was among the participants who got screened for Schistosomiasis during a Pilot Study that was conducted to ascertain the magnitude of Schistosomiasis in the Shamva District. The Pilot project also assessed…

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Zimbabwe-China Partnership Launches Pilot Project To Eliminate Bilharzia

Michael Gwarisa

A new China-Zimbabwe cooperation pilot project for the control and elimination of Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) could fast-track Zimbabwe’s efforts to eliminate the disease, HealthTimes has learned. By Michael Gwarisa in Shamva The project follows the successful signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which has seen Zimbabwe become the first country on the continent to benefit from the China-Africa Corporation Initiative for the elimination of Schistosomiasis. The study has been jointly initiated by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) in Zimbabwe, and…

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