COVID-19 Related Deaths At Tobacco Factory In Indonesia Are Latest Example of Prioritizing Profits Over Workers

Global tobacco industry watchdog STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) are urging caution following a rash of reports that tobacco industry practices may be putting their workers at risk for COVID-19. The alert comes amid news that two factory workers have died from COVID-19 and dozens of others tested positive at HM Sampoerna, a…

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The Cultural and Social Challenges to Slowing the Pandemic in Africa

By Chris Macoloo When the outbreak of the coronavirus was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, it is arguable whether African governments took the threat seriously. Since this was a new virus, most African governments thought that it would be confined to China. Even after most Western countries prohibited planes from certain cities in Asia…

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COVID-19: High Court Orders Improvement In Dissemination of Information to the Deaf and the Blind

By Veritas Provisional Order Against Ministers About to become Permanent? The last day for filing the response from the Ministers responsible for Information, Health, and Social Welfare was today, Friday 8th May.  The Ministers had been ordered to respond to a provisional order served on them on the 23rd April to improve the dissemination of official…

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IOM enhances capacity to respond to COVID-19 challenges at main points of entry

By Anyway Yotamu International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Zimbabwe has provided over 980 tarpaulins and 250 sets of Non-Food Items kits to selected institutions in the country towards the fight against COVID-19. The beneficiaries include the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) Hotel (Rainbow Hotel) in Beitbridge, Plumtree High School in Plumtree and Vuti High…

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Communities applaud village health workers

By Habakkuk Trust Village Health Workers (VHWs) continue to champion the fight against COVID-19 in most parts of rural Matabeleland. These brave men and women have kept communities abreast with key information on the novel Coronavirus. When the government declared COVID-19 as a formidable epidemic leading to a national lockdown, village health workers came in to fill…

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Ecobank and Google collaborate to keep children learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com), the pan-African Bank, is leveraging its distribution and partner networks to raise awareness of literacy apps in the Google Play Store to support the education of children who are at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to affect everyone’s lives, Ecobank is committed to protecting the health, safety and…

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United States Approves $230 Million to Fight HIV in Zimbabwe

The United States has approved more than $230 million to support the fight against HIV in Zimbabwe and achieve epidemic control through a comprehensive package of prevention, treatment, and support services.   Ambassador Brian A. Nichols made the announcement on April 30 following the approval of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Country…

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US$84.9 million urgently required to support National COVID-19 response in Zimbabwe

Today the United Nations and partners launched an updated Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP) in New York requesting for US$6.7 billion to protect millions of lives and stem the spread of coronavirus in fragile countries. Launching the updated GHRP, UN Humanitarian Chief, Mark Lowcock called for swift and determined action to avoid the most destabilizing…

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VAYA helps with COVID-19 safety compliance measures

VAYA has partnered with widows from the United Methodist Church in Mabelreign, Harare, to make reusable cloth masks to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Following a month-long lockdown which has since been extended by another two weeks, the government has ordered that citizens wear masks in public, in a move meant to arrest…

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Africa50 donates US$800,000, joins African Countries to help fight COVID-19

Africa50 (www.Africa50.com), the pan-African infrastructure investment platform, has announced its COVID-19 Relief Support Initiative, which aims to support the continent’s fight against the pandemic. Under this initiative, Africa50 is providing US$800,000 to help contain the spread of the virus and minimize its impact. Given the likely long-term effects of the pandemic, Africa50’s COVID-19 Relief Support…

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Japan provides nutrition, HIV/AIDS and WASH support for women and children in four districts across Zimbabwe

The Japanese Government has contributed over US$450, 000 to provide life-saving nutrition, HIV/AIDS and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) interventions to communities affected by drought and floods. The project will be implemented in four food-insecure districts, namely Binga, Buhera, Chiredzi and Masvingo, through UNICEF in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe. It will particularly focus…

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Business returns to normal in Bulawayo

By Habakkuk Trust The relaxation of lockdown regulations threatens to reverse the gains made by the Zimbabwean government in combating the Covid-19 virus. The government of Zimbabwe enacted  Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 in line with Presidential proclamation on the easing Covid-19 national lockdown regulations. Provisions of the statute make the wearing of masks mandatory…

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Reflections on costing of agricultural commodities – thanks to COVID19

By Charles Dhewa In addition to disrupting food supply chains, COVID-19 has presented a pricing headache for smallholder farmers in African countries. If government directs supermarkets to revert back to pre-COVID19 prices they can easily do so because they have a tradition of keeping records on stocks and prices.  On the other hand, mass markets…

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United States assistance to Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 national response now exceeds US$6 million

Through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has committed US$3 million from the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 National Preparedness and Response Plan.   This new donation brings to over US$6 million the total amount that the United States has committed to…

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VAYA Express Medical Deliveries offers free delivery of medicines

VAYA Express, through VAYA Express Medical Deliveries, is now offering free delivery of medical supplies to assist Zimbabweans in need of critical medicines and drugs during the restrictions imposed due the COVID -19 pandemic and beyond. VAYA Express Medical Deliveries is collaborating with Maisha Health fund (formerly Steward Health) to help people in need to…

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Coronavirus Updates: Intrigue behind the pandemic’s origins

By Avi Selk The latest The mysterious origin of the novel coronavirus is now a matter of international dispute. The U.S. intelligence community concluded the virus is not man-made in a new report, but would not rule out the possibility that it was accidentally released from a virology lab in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began late last…

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Artistes Should Play Pivotal Roles ln The Fight Against Covid-19: Music Producer

By Ronnie Chisamba in Kadoma A popular music producer in the Kadoma gold mining town has said Zimbabwean artists from all genres should play an instrumental role in the struggle against COVID-19. Founder and owner of Vigo Studio lnt.,Fanuel Kanyonganise (39),a.ka. Fankan, expressed confidence that immense contribution from the art industry would go a long…

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Government committed to creating a clean environment in the fight against COVID-19

By Joyce Mukucha  As the world is experiencing unprecedented crises caused by the COVID-19, the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry continues to stand with citizens in this difficult time as it commits to support the National fight against the pandemic. In his national clean-up campaign statement, the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism,…

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Worker’s Day Solidarity Message: COVID-19 – Tribute to Frontline Health Workers

By Community Working Group on Health This year’s national Worker’s Day theme; “Stop Covid-19 Pandemic: Scale-up social protection and dialogue, save jobs and pay a living wage”, befits the current environment which emphasizes stopping the spread of the virus and urging employers to pay wages that sustain families, especially during this lockdown period. It is…

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DStv stimulates physical action in the home during lockdown

To ramp up the valuable input of physical exercise for people in lockdown, DStv and Virgin Active have partnered to bring viewers workouts designed by the very best instructors and fitness experts from around the world. Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said that many gym regulars were housebound during lockdown…

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Mr Eddie Chibi

Steward Health rebrands to Maisha Health Fund, offers greater value

Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe has rebranded its medical insurance business Steward Health to Maisha Health Fund. Announcing the move, Cassava Smartech CEO Mr. Eddie Chibi said the rebranding would reposition the business to reflect its enhanced product packages. “The rebranding reflects our drive to enhance our medical insurance offering to leverage our digital platforms and promote…

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COVID-19: African Development Institute to hold a virtual seminar

WHAT: E-seminar on COVID-19 macro-economic policy planning for Africa WHO: African Development Institute, African Development Bank Group, partners WHEN: Wednesday, 29 April 2020; 14:00 – 1800 The African Development Institute (ADI), jointly with anchor economic policy think-tanks and universities in Africa, including the African Economic Research Consortium, will host a virtual seminar on macro-economic policy…

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It’s time to target those who stole public money to fight the Coronavirus

By Joseph Hove Everyone knows our country is in desperate economic and social dire straits. Zimbabwe’s food situation is worsening by the day as more than 4,3 million people will be food insecure by June this year a food crisis a recently released report has revealed. According to the Global Report on Food Crises for…

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Women leaders rise in solidarity to save lives and protect livelihoods

“Rise for All” calls on all leaders to meet the human crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and fully fund the UN Response and Recovery Trust Fund Supporting the UN Secretary-General’s call for solidarity and urgent action in response to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, an initial group of prominent women today joined a global advocacy…

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Official COVID-19 Information Hub available free through SMS for Econet mobile users

The Ministry of Health and Child Care and UNICEF have made the Official COVID-19 Information Hub available through SMS free for Econet Users. With the support of Econet, access to the Information Hub is available by sending an SMS from any mobile phone. Simply text the word “Hi” to the number 2019. Econet has over…

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How COVID19 has exposed limitations of colonial food systems in Africa

By Charles Dhewa The majority of developing countries are still to tear themselves away from the colonial set up where major food markets were located in cities or towns in order to provide food for low income people working in formal industries. Under that arrangement food had to travel from rural areas most of which…

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Demolitions amid COVID-19: Vendors appeal for cushioning fee

Vendors representative associations are concerned about the delays in the payments of the cushioning grants that were supposed to cushion them and informal traders following the COVID-19 lockdown and government-sanctioned demolitions of their working spaces. As a result, they are calling upon government through its relevant ministries to provide information on progress made so far….

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Afreximbank Announces $3 Million COVID-19 Response Grant for African Countries

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced a $3-million grant to complement continental efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah, who made the announcement in Cairo, said that the grant was in response to a request by African heads of state, through the auspices of the African Union Chair Person, Cyril Ramaphosa, President…

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PAZ Condemns Attacks, Urges Commuters To Abide By The Law During Lockdown

By Ronnie Chisamba in Kadoma The Passengers Association of Zimbabwe  (PAZ) has condemned the recent attacks on commuters by members of the police and the army, at Waverly Bus Station. Tafadzwa Goliati, the president of PAZ said his organization did not support human violations. He also encouraged travellers to abide by the law to avoid confrontations …

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COVID-19: Adam Molai Foundation donates food parcels to the needy

The Adam Molai Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic organisation running programmes to ease poverty amongst underprivileged, has come to the rescue of nearly 100 families in Marondera amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With the effects of the pandemic being felt globally, the foundation has pushed to continue supporting the communities who need food assistance the most. The…

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The fight against malaria must continue: CSOs

By Civil Society For Malaria Elimination The malaria affected community and civil society recognize the devastating effect malaria has on the lives of thousands of people each year and would like to reflect on progress, challenges and recommendations as we commemorate World Malaria Day on April 25TH2020.  From 2000 to 2015, several countries made tremendous…

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Silveira High School Alumni medical practitioners give back to Bikita community

Dr. Celestino Dhege, a former Silveira High School student and the Vice President of Infection Control Association of Zimbabwe teamed up with Professor Jacob Mufunda and Dr. Thalia Mungwari on the noble initiative to train health workers on managing COVID-19 in Bikita District. “I offered to provide a three-hour sensitisation for health care workers in…

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TelOne, NetOne jointly unveil COVID 19 Response of ZWL$10 Million Support Facility

TelOne and NetOne announced the setting up of a joint COVID 19 response support facility to the tune of ZWL$10million. The two companies extended their business collaboration to establish a sustainable response plan which will benefit three public hospitals namely Sally Mugabe (formerly Harare Hospital), Beatrice Infectious Diseases, and Mpilo Hospitals. Specific areas being funded…

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MSF racing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in over 70 countries

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are racing to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in the more than 70 countries where we run existing programs, while opening projects in new countries as they become outbreak hotspots. MSF’s response to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, focuses on three main priorities: Supporting health…

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