Tag: TUBERCULOSIS

In Zimbabwe, a Mobile App “One Impact” Has Enhanced Human Rights Outcomes for Persons with TB

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa As a young person who has survived Tuberculosis (TB), Munyaradzi Saruchera (27) from Dzivarasekwa in Harare now wants to make an impact in Zimbabwe’s TB response. He volunteers as a TB champion under the Stop TB Partnership Zimbabwe. His roles encompass getting feedback from the TB community regarding access to services, monitoring TB patients, and following them up to check if they adhere to medications. He also monitors the availability of TB services and commodities such as TB medicines, and screening services. However, collecting data and feedback…

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El Nino Induced Drought Presents Bleak Future For TB Patients In Zimbabwe As Many Could Discontinue Treatment

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The heat wave is blazing hot in Shurugwi, a small town in the Midlands province, and Brighton Mangwiro (30), is preparing to go to the gold mine shaft where he temporarily works. Due to the El Nino weather patterns, the heavens have not been so generous in the just-ended 2023-2024 cropping season, and many farmers in Shurugwi are already counting their losses. This has pushed more young men, and women in the area into artisanal gold mining in a bid to fend for themselves and loved ones.…

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Incapacitated DR-TB Patients Bear The Brunt of Catastrophic Costs

Michael Gwarisa

Nqobizitha Nkomo and his wife from Insiza District in Matebeleland South, were both diagnosed of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) about a year ago. Even though they say they are feeling better,  Nkomo recounts how their situation almost reduced them to beggars of some sort in their quest to sustain their treatment and recovery journey. By Michael Gwarisa Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) is a form of tuberculosis which has developed resistance to the main medicines used to treat TB. This form of TB can be resistant to one or more anti-TB medicines.…

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Surviving TB As A Young Person. Tracing Dr Tanaka Mukuhwa’s Journey With TB

Michael Gwarisa

Tanaka Mukuhwa (19) from Mutare is a Tuberculosis Survivor and a young person living openly with HIV. He was diagnosed with Meningitis Tuberculosis (TB) at the age of 13 when he was still in school and stayed in hospital for six months. By Michael Gwarisa His story illustrates the profound consequences tuberculosis can have on young people especially those at the prime of their lives. Even though Tanaka’s story has a happy ending and describes unexpected positives amidst the challenges of tuberculosis treatment, including how this disease might provide an…

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Three Times TB Survivor Now Leading Fight against TB from the Front

Michael Gwarisa

Barbara Farashishko (52) from Mabvuku, Harare, will always remember the year 1995 as they year her entire life changed completely following a Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis at Parirenyatwa Hospital. The events that followed her positive TB diagnosis led to a plethora of misfortunes such as losing her Job, loss of family, massive stigma from family and society and above all, two more TB reinfections in the years that followed. By Michael Gwarisa Her TB journey started when she was pregnant in 1995 after she began coughing and experiencing shortness of breath…

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Hunger Forcing TB Patients To Abandon Medications In Rural Communities

Michael Gwarisa

THE growing food insecurity situation could derail the national Tuberculosis (TB) response amidst indications that some TB patients from rural and peri-urban areas are already defaulting on their medications citing some adverse drug reactions after taking the tablets and medications on an empty stomach for a prolonged period. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is currently faced with a food insecurity situation and according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), between 40 percent and 60 percent of the country’s population could be food insecure by September, 2022.This according to…

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Zim Removed From TB high Burden Countries List

Patricia Mashiri

THE World Health Organisation (WHO), has  removed Zimbabwe from the list of Tuberculosis (TB) high burden countries in its recent global updated list of high burden countries. By Patricia Mashiri The new lists are for 2021–2025 and replace those previously used between 2016 and 2020. Zimbabwe together with other high TB burden countries such as Cambodia, the Russian Federation transitioned  out of the list. Speaking to HealthTimes, Dr Charles Sandy, the Deputy Director, TB and HIV Services  in the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) said there was some…

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Take Prescribed TB Drugs Until End Of Course To Avoid Drug Resistance Retail Pharmacists Warn

Michael Gwarisa

 ZIMBABWE’S Retail Pharmacists Association (RPA) have raised concern over the growing cases of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR TB) amidst indications that not less that 465 000 people fell ill with multiple-drug resistant TB in 2019. By Staff Reporter In a statement, Jocelyn Chaibva, the Chairperson, Retail Pharmacists Association said there was need to reach out to everyone and ensure no one is left behind. As community pharmacists, we are fully aware and appreciate that: The clock is ticking, hence our joining hands with the rest of the healthcare team on…

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1.4 Million People Missed TB Treatment And Care In 2020 Due To COVID-19

Healthtimes

AN estimated 1.4 million fewer people received care for tuberculosis (TB) in 2020 than in 2019, according to preliminary data compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) from over 80 countries- a reduction of 21% from 2019. . HealthTimes Reporter The countries with the biggest relative gaps were Indonesia (42%), South Africa (41%), Philippines (37%) and India (25%) The effects of COVID-19 go far beyond the death and disease caused by the virus itself. The disruption to essential services for people with TB is just one tragic example of the…

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Why so many people still die from Aids-related illnesses despite more people being on treatment

Healthtimes

Twenty years ago antiretroviral medicines for HIV were a rare luxury in South Africa. Exorbitant costs and president Thabo Mbeki’s government fierce government opposition against providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) kept it out of the public sector. Those were terrible days. Many lives were lost. By Dr Gilles Van Cutsem Today, one of the main challenges in the fight against Aids is the lack of availability of diagnostics and drugs that can help save lives of people suffering from advanced HIV; who are very vulnerable to deadly opportunistic infections such as…

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