Africa: COVID-19 pandemic bolsters case for technology-based economic resilience

By Stefan Nalletamby As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact globally, the African continent, while less affected, is preparing to undergo its own severe social and economic crisis. As of April 7, over 10,000 cases have been reported across 52 countries in Africa (less than 1% of cases globally). Yet despite the slow onset, Africa’s…

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COVID 19: A devastating blow for children in poverty

By Anyway Yotamu Whilst the coronavirus (COVID-19) has so far resulted in less severe cases among children, it can decimate their lives in a different way. The ‘physical distancing’ measures increasingly required to contain the virus mean parents are unable to work, as ‘business as usual’ is rapidly grinding to a halt across the world.  Meanwhile,…

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Letter from Locked-Down Harare: Zimbabwe at 40, transfixed at a wonder

By Farai Chirimumimba The world is used to stare in wonder, yes transfixed at the jaw-dropping Zimbabwe’s Majestic Victoria Falls, the storm that thunders. One of the seven wonders of the world. The small land-locked country’s spectacular Zambezi river gorge and beautiful country side scenery has stunned the world and may continue to if one…

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Among the most vulnerable to coronavirus: The tens of millions who carry HIV and tuberculosis

By Max Bearak and Joanna Slater NAIROBI — The novel coronavirus is racing toward a collision with two longer-running pandemics, as waves of HIV and tuberculosis infections have left tens of millions of people in the developing world particularly vulnerable to the new threat. The regions hit hardest by HIV and tuberculosis are in Africa and South Asia, where the coronavirus is…

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Cassava HealthTech launches Maisha Medik digital health platform

Cassava HealthTech has launched the Maisha Medik digital health platform that will be accessible through a mobile application (App) that is set to enhance Zimbabwe’s healthcare delivery sector. Cassava HealthTech, a subsidiary of Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed fintech and digital services giant Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, operates Maisha Health, MARS and Steward Health. The Maisha Medik digital…

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Ecocash praised for removing transfer fees on COVID-19 relief

Ecocash has been praised for removing processing fees for cash transfers designated as COVID relief so as to enable the Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and any other relief organizations to freely give support to vulnerable groups and communities at no extra cost. The CEO of Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, the holding company of EcoCash, Mr Eddie…

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COVID-19, time for the aviation sector to introspect

… Zimbabwe braces for losses  Leading aviation industry expert Winnie Muchanyuka believes it will take some time for airlines to bounce back from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic but adds the effect on their bottom line—and the economy—will not be cataclysmic. Speaking in an interview on UltimateTourism Chat with Chief Koti the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe…

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COVID-19 and the magic bullet theory

By George Manyaya Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have changed the face of communication worldwide. The fast-changing pace of digital transformation has brought about access to a highly diversified range of technologies and services. Globally, the fixed and mobile telecommunications sector has been growing exponentially over the years, leading scholars to argue that we now live…

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AfDB approves $10 million equity in Razorite Healthcare Fund for Africa

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has approved a $10-million equity investment in Razorite Healthcare Africa Fund 1 (RHAF1) to help improve healthcare infrastructure delivery across the continent. The 10-year deal, approved on 26 February, will resource the Fund to address growing demands for affordable and quality healthcare services in several…

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ZANU (PF) Women’s league joins fight against COVID-19

ZANU (PF) Secretary for Women’s Affairs who is also Senate President Mabel Memory Chinomona has applauded efforts being made by  President Emmerson Mnangagwa, all Government departments, private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), churches, traditional leaders and the generality of Zimbabweans in their responsiveness and pro-activeness to the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “The disease has been declared…

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Didier Drogba, prominent Africans condemn plans to test COVID-19 vaccines on the continent

Eminent African personalities – World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; United Family International Church (UFIC) founder Emmanuel Makandiwa; prominent traditional healer Sekuru Kamwelo Banda; footballers Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o have scoffed at plans to test potential vaccines for COVID-19 in Africa The comments came after Dr Jean-Paul Mira, the head of intensive…

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Zimbabwe’s frontline medical practitioners demand protection from exposure to coronavirus

By Kumbirai Mafunda Zimbabwean doctors have asked the government to provide them and other frontline medical practitioners with personal protective equipment (PPE) and to adequately equip public hospitals to protect them from the deadly coronavirus as they execute their duties and help slow the spread of the epidemic. In an application filed on Sunday 5…

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Facebook launches Coronavirus Information Centre in 17 African countries

Facebook (www.Facebook.co.za) is expanding its Coronavirus Information Center to 17 more countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Information Centers form part of Facebook’s effort to help the global fight against COVID-19 by providing people with the latest news and information from trusted health authorities as well as resources and tips to stay healthy and support their…

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Citizens fail to maintain social distancing

By Habakkuk Trust Social distancing measures have been disregarded in most supermarkets as starving citizens queue for basic commodities. While some shops have instituted preventative measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, including sanitizing hands, reducing the number of people inside the shop at a given time and checking temperature for every customer at the…

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Education system overburdened by humanitarian crises including coronavirus pandemic: ECOZI

The Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (ECOZI) has noted that the education system in Zimbabwe was already stretched before the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of multiple crises, the impact of Cyclone Idai last year, the economic crisis and hyperinflation and the ongoing drought, low teacher motivation, and incapacitation, among others. The education sector hosts the…

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Drives Sub-Saharan Africa Toward First Recession in 25 Years

Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa has been significantly impacted by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and is forecast to fall sharply from 2.4% in 2019 to -2.1 to -5.1% in 2020, the first recession in the region over the past 25 years, according to the latest Africa’s Pulse, the World Bank’s twice-yearly economic update for the region….

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HVAC Installation: 7 Common Mistakes to Avoid

What Is HVAC? HVAC or the Heating, Ventilation And Air Conditioning System aims to create a comfortable environment for the user. HVAC provides better indoor air quality inside buildings as well as in vehicles. It also regulates the indoor temperature and moisture. HVACs form an integral part of many structures: residential and industrial. HVACs do…

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Government intensifies measures to combat COVID-19

The government has intensified measure to combat COVID-19. This emerged as Cabinet considered and approved a report on the country’s preparedness and response to the Corona Virus Outbreak (COVID-19), which was presented by Honourable Vice President Mohadi, as Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on the COVID-19 Outbreak. Cabinet commended the general public for positively…

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ARC To Launch Outbreaks And Epidemics Insurance Product

By Joyce Mukucha In a bid to strengthen the ability of African Union Member States to respond to in-country outbreaks and epidemics, reducing pathogens potential spread within and across national borders through better risk analysis, country preparedness, and improved planning and response, the African Risk Capacity (ARC) is preparing to launch an Outbreaks and Epidemics…

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Strategies for cushioning African informal economies against COVID-19

By Charles Dhewa Cushioning informal traders and vendors against the impact of COVID-19 is a very noble idea in developing countries. However, the devil is in the implementation details. For instance, African informal economies function more like ecosystems than a collection of disconnected traders and vendors. That is why before introducing social cash grants, the…

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Appeal for COVID-19 Food and Hygiene Packs for Hwange rural community

By Greenline Africa Trust Access to food and water is an everyday reality for many vulnerable communities around the world.  Greenline Africa cannot change the world, but we can help make a difference in the communities we work within Hwange Rural, 25-50km outside the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. 98% of rural communities in the areas we…

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Temba Mliswa organised COVID-19 taskforce receives donations to fight pandemic in Norton

Member of the National Assembly for Norton, Temba Mliswa set up a constituency taskforce to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and on Saturday pooled donations from the stakeholders led by tile manufacturer Sunny Yi Feng Tiles Zimbabwe.   “What we have done is to complement the government’s effort in ensuring that we combat COVID-19 together….

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Coronavirus: Hopes revived as Strive Masiyiwa donates 45 ventilator ICU suites

Zimbabwe telecoms giant, philanthropist, and businessman Strive Masiyiwa has injected lifeblood into the fight against coronavirus by donating 45 Ventilator Intensive care units for use in combating the pandemic. The donation will come through the HigherLife Foundation that has been instrumental in bailing Zimbabwe’s educational and health sectors over the years. Below, Spiked Online Media…

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SAAPA Commends Government’s Ban of Alcohol Sales in Fighting COVID-19

By Joyce Mukucha Following the Government’s ban on alcohol sales in retail outlets in light of the COVID-19 virus lockdown, the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) Zimbabwe has applauded the bold step explaining that it was concerned about building a healthy nation and empowered communities. SAAPA is a national network of civil society organisations…

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YALI Network Members Urged to Play a Critical Role in Combating COVID-19

During this unprecedented time, the United States continues to partner with the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and national public health institutions in Africa to support preparedness and response to the ongoing global public health emergency that spread out of China and is now engulfing the world. In a statement to the…

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Africans are not objects for medical experimentation: Sekuru Banda

Man-of-the-moment and popular traditional healer Sekuru Banda has added a voice in the medical field by vehemently refusing the use of Africans in experimenting with them on coming up with vaccines. Spiked Online Media learned this after getting the message on the Internet that American billionaire Bill Gates reportedly had intentions to use Africa to…

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Coronavirus: WHO concerned as COVID-19 cases accelerate in Africa

To contain COVID-19, many countries in Africa are implementing measures, which restrict gatherings and the movement of people With more than 6000 COVID-19 cases reported in Africa, the virus is threatening fragile health systems on the continent. Infections are increasingly spreading not only between African countries but within different localities in the hardest-hit countries. For…

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Lockdown necessary to win battle against coronavirus: Anti-Domestic Violence Council

The Anti-Domestic Violence Council (AVC) has joined hands with the Government of Zimbabwe in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and said the lockdown pronounced by President E.D Mnangagwa is necessary to win the battle against this pandemic. “The Anti-Domestic Violence Council would like to take this opportunity to encourage families to utilise this lockdown…

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Exeter researchers discover a novel chemistry to protect our crops from fungal disease

Pathogenic fungi pose a huge and growing threat to global food security. Currently, we protect our crops against fungal disease by spraying them with anti-fungal chemistries, also known as fungicides. However, the growing threat of microbial resistance against these chemistries requires continuous development of new fungicides. A consortium of researchers from the University of Exeter,…

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