Tag: World Health Organisation

Inaugural Climate and Health Conference Rallies Africa To Take Action Against Climate-Induced Health Threats

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Although Africa contributes less than 4% of global carbon dioxide emissions, it faces some of the harshest impacts of climate change on health and the environment, leaders at the inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC2024) have stated. Public health data shows that Africa is experiencing numerous climate-linked health hazards more than other regions in the world. This largely has to do with an already weakened health system and the absence of reliable early warning systems amongst a host of other factors. According to the World Health…

Read More

Mass Drug Administration Boosts Health Outcomes and School Attendance For Zimbabwe School Children

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Nyazura  Children at St Peters Tokoyo primary school, about 25 Kilometers from Nyazura Growth point in Makoni District, Manicaland province, have braced the chilly weather to queue for the Bilharzia and Intestinal worms medications being administered under the nationwide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) program. At Tokoyo Primary school and the nearby clinic, health workers from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) are administering Praziquantel, treatment for Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia. According to a 2021 Community-Based Mapping, Makoni District has an double endemicity of  Schistosomiasis and…

Read More

Amref Puts A Spotlight On Widening Climate Change Induced Health Inequalities in Africa

Michael Gwarisa

“As dire as the situation is, financing for climate adaptation is only a drop in the ocean of what is needed. This scenario has been, and continues to be the reason why Africa is one of the most vulnerable continent.” By Michael Gwarisa As the world commemorates World Health Day, governments around the world are seized with addressing climate change challenges, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) data estimating that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will likely cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhoea…

Read More

From Hundreds Of Cholera Patients To Zero Admissions: Manicaland Showcases Power Of Multisectoral Collaboration In Outbreak Response

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa It’s about 11:00 in the morning, and Tichaona Shumba (45) from Chikuni Village, Farm 157 in Mutare Rural sits quietly on his bed at Zvipiripiri Clinic. He is probably wondering how he survived Cholera despite the disease having killed many people in his district between October and December 2023. There is not much activity at the facility, left for a few men carrying out some renovations in one of the wards. A handful of Village Health Workers (VHWs) are also seated under a shed ahead of their…

Read More

Zimbabwe Launches House to House Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A total of 2.3 million people, aged one year old and above, are set to benefit from the Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign that has been launched in Harare today. The campaign will be carried out on a  house-to-house, and cluster-to-cluster basis in 160 wards within 26 high-risk districts in seven provinces namely Harare, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands. These districts are considered the main drivers of the outbreak. Officiating at the launch, Minister of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Dr Douglass…

Read More

Road Accidents Kill More Young People Than HIV and AIDS- Data

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Even though the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) report on Road Safety shows a 5 percent reduction in traffic deaths globally, data from the same report confirm that road accidents are increasing at an alarming rate. The report shows that road traffic deaths have fallen slightly to 1.19 million per year. However, the price paid for mobility remains far too high as countries continue to lose more young productive people to road-related accidents. According to the report, there were an estimated 1.19 million road traffic deaths in…

Read More

Role of Guidelines in Reducing Unsafe Abortions

Dr Munyaradzi Murwirwa

By Dr Munyaradzi Murwira Background According to World Health Organisation (WHO), six out of 10 unintended pregnancies end up in induced abortions, with 45 percent of all abortions estimated to be unsafe globally. Thus, strengthening access to comprehensive abortion care (CAC) within the health care system is fundamental to meeting the sustainable development goals (SDGs) relating to good health and wellbeing, and gender equality. In 2022, the WHO launched the new Abortion Care Guidelines to provide guidance for provision of comprehensive abortion care services (CAC) globally. Priority aspects of the…

Read More

Omicron Sub Variants Make Up 97.5% Of All New COVID-19 Cases In China

Michael Gwarisa

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) which was recently in China to investigate the surge in new COVID-19 cases, has reported that Omicron still accounts for majority of infections together with its sub-variants BA.5.2 AND BF.7. By Michael Gwarisa The TAG-VE meets regularly to review the latest scientific evidence on circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and advises WHO on whether a change in public health strategies is warranted. The TAG-VE met on 3 January 2023 to discuss the COVID-19 situation in mainland China. During the meeting,…

Read More

COVID-19 Rears Ugly Head Again As WHO meets with Chinese officials on current COVID-19 situation

Michael Gwarisa

A high-level meeting took place on 30 December between WHO and China about the current surge in COVID-19 cases, to seek further information on the situation, and to offer WHO’s expertise and further support. By Michael Gwarisa High-level officials from China’s National Health Commission and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration briefed WHO on China’s evolving strategy and actions in the areas of epidemiology, monitoring of variants, vaccination, clinical care, communication and R&D. WHO again asked for regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation —…

Read More

Nearly 40 million children are dangerously susceptible to growing measles threat

Michael Gwarisa

Measles vaccination coverage has steadily declined since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, a record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose: 25 million children missed their first dose and an additional 14.7 million children missed their second dose, a joint publication by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. This decline is a significant setback in global progress towards achieving and maintaining measles elimination and leaves millions of children susceptible to infection. In…

Read More