Tag: ZIMBABWE

Regional Progress Review Meeting for Scaled Up Peer-Led HIV Service Delivery Model Kicks Off In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Thirteen African countries are in Zimbabwe for a three-day consultation meeting to deliberate on the progress and gaps in the scaled-up Zvandiri peer provider model toward ending AIDS in children and adolescents. Zvandiri is implementing the Zvandiri model in Zimbabwe in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC). The program is a comprehensive, peer-led program focused on children, adolescents, and young adults living with HIV aged 0-24. The peers, known as community adolescent treatment supporters (CATS), are people living with HIV (PLHIV) aged 18–24…

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HIV Positive Zimbabwean Mothers Celebrate Life Of Healthy Choices and Healthy Children

Takunda Mandura

By Takunda Mandura Having been diagnosed with HIV during her first pregnancy 15 years ago, Moud Chinembiri, now a mother of two children, has defied the odds and looked the beast in the eye. Now her child whom she had when she had a positive HIV diagnosis is attending high school and is HIV-negative, a living testimony of the intervention measures against HIV.   Her daughter has been her treatment buddy. “My daughter has become sort of my alarm to remind me of my medication schedule. I can say she…

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ARASA Pilots Cohort Coordination Work In Zimababwe To Unite Diverse SRHR Movements

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to strengthen collaboration across various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and social movements, Zimbabwe has become the first country in the sub-Saharan region to launch an advocacy cohort coordination program to harmonise Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocacy work. This comes at the back of observations that various regional movements were  fragmented, and working  in a siloed environment that often limits functional collaboration across Civil Society Organisations. Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes on the side-lines of a two-day Zimbabwe Advocacy Cohort Coordination Co-creation…

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Zim among highly burdened AMR African countries with National Action Plans

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere With Zimbabwe drafting its second National Action Plan to reduce Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), it is among some African countries that is still battling high AMR, a study says. Compared to European countries with AMR national action plans, despite a display of commitment to ameliorate AMR issues, African countries are still struggling with the high burden. A study published in The Lancet titled ‘The burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in the WHO African region in 2019: a cross-country systematic analysis’, noted that implementation of these policies was the…

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Point of care testing helps reduce MTCT

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere Point of care testing in children helped Zimbabwe reduce Mother to child Transmission (MTCT), infant mortality and morbidity over the past two decades, Professor Lynn Zijenah an immunologist says. Nationally, MTCT in the early 2000s amidst the absence of HIV interventions was more than 30 percent till it dropped to 8 percent according to latest figures. Presenting a research at the Cepheid Booth at the ICASA 2023 conference, Prof Zijenah said in the research where 500 HIV positive pregnant women were enrolled they MTCT rate was 1.55…

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Zimbabwe Introduces AMR Module In Nursing School

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a bid to capacitate healthcare workers to better deal with the rising scourge of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), has introduced an AMR module in nursing schools. This was revealed by Dr Rudo Chikodzore, the the Director of Epidemiology and Diseases Control in the Ministry of Health uring a Press Briefing to mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) being hosted in Harare, Zimbabwe. The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR…

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Decentralize Cancer Screening…Fund Treatment and Care

Fiona Tinarwo

By Fiona Tinarwo In May this year, I had an opportunity to be part of a team that facilitated a mobile outreach clinic in Chimanimani in partnership with Mutambara Mission Hospital. One of the most important service on offer was cervical cancer screening. I met a number of women from the community and had a chance to speak to them about the importance of cervical cancer screening. One lady honestly spoke about life after getting screened and being diagnosed with cervical cancer. She literally spoke about how that could be…

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“Report when Doctors Refer You To Their Private Surgeries” Says Minister Of Health

Takunda Mandura

The Minister of Health and Childcare, Dr Douglas Mombershora has told parliament that patients must report to him when you there are reffered to private practices from government hospital. By Takunda Mandura Responding to a question by Hon Getrude Mutandi during questions and answers session What is the Government policy on medical doctors who refer patients to their private surgeries? For example, expecting mothers are referred to their private surgeries when in actual fact, medical assistance can be rendered at Government hospitals,” said Hon Mutandi . Dr Mombershora assured the…

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Drug Abuse Admissions Overwhelm Annex Psychiatric Hospital

Michael Gwarisa

Parirenyatwa Annex Hospital, the Psychiatric division of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH), is currently admitting more drug and substance abusers compared to other mental health patients, officials have said. By Michael Gwarisa The development has disrupted care and service provision for other mental health conditions at the facility. Even though the facility at some point reduced the admissions to 10 adults at any given time at the back of ongoing renovations, data shows that more than half of bed occupants are drug and substance abusers. Speaking to HealthTimes, Parirenyatwa Group…

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Zim Scales-Up Efforts To Control Invasive Alien Species

Kuda Pembere

Zimbabwe will soon be reviewing its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) expected to be giving prominence to the management of Invasive Alien Species. By Kuda Pembere In a speech read on his behalf, Permanent secretary in the Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Ministry Ambassador Tayerera Faranisi said they are about to commence the revision of NBSAPs.  He said they are behind in their schedule for producing an NBSAP. Colleagues, this is an important topic for us as Ministry of Environment. Just to highlight for you, we are discussing…

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