ZPHCA’s youth with disabilities peer learning programme positively transforms lives

Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children’s Association (ZPHCA) recently hosted the Youth with Disability Peer Learning Exchange Feedback Meeting in Harare. More than 30 youth with disabilities from various neighbourhoods of the greater Harare Province attended. The event was facilitated by Emilia July, Thomas Chanduru, and Fungai Muchoko. The 3 facilitators are all part of the…

Read More

Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe takes stance against drug abuse

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) is committed to protecting public and animal health through its regulatory functions. As part of this mandate, MCAZ recognizes the urgent need to combat drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe. Drug abuse is a complex issue that affects individuals, families, and communities across Zimbabwe. It poses serious threats…

Read More
No fair prices for medicine without access and transparency

MSF welcomes J&J’s decision to not enforce unnecessary patents on key TB drug

After years of advocacy to increase access to the lifesaving tuberculosis (TB) drug bedaquiline, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) welcomes Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) announcement to drop its secondary patents on the medicine. This decision means additional drugmakers will be allowed to make more affordable generic versions of the drug for people in low-…

Read More

Prof. Eyal Leshem encourages harm reduction from respiratory, food-borne diseases

Prof. Eyal Leshem, the Director of the Institute for Travel Medicine and Tropical Diseases at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel has encouraged harm reduction from respiratory and food-borne infectious diseases. He made the remarks at the just-ended Health Harm Reduction Conference that was held in Marrakech, Morocco from 27 to 29 September 2023. “Foodborne…

Read More

National Seed Fair breathes life into long-lost millet varieties

By Lloyd Rabaya As the Green Stars traditional dance group was dishing out their transcendent performance of the Mbakumba dance, the unmitigated crowd’s cheerful plaudits with the golden dust going straight to the skies marked the permanent return of a lost hope. Since time immemorial in Zimbabwe, different occasions called for different dances, which vary…

Read More

MSF: Lawmakers must reauthorise PEPFAR for the next five years

OWN CORRESPONDENT NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023—Allowing the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to expire tomorrow instead of reauthorizing it for the next five years would have catastrophic global health consequences, said the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Since its inception 20 years ago, PEPFAR has…

Read More

Africa, global south should act now on disaster risks reduction

Dr. Tendai Mhizha, the Secretary-General of the Health Harm Reduction Conference has urged the Global South, with a particular focus on the African continent, to take appropriate action to address challenges hindering sustainable development. She made the remarks during the second edition of the African and first edition of the South-South Health Harm Reduction Conference…

Read More

Government urged to open industries to curb drug abuse

Writes Clayton Masekesa The government of Zimbabwe has been urged to open industries and create employment opportunities for youths to curb the incessant drug abuse and other vices. This came out during a Mutare Peoples’ Assembly held in Mutare on Friday, initiated by Fight Inequality Alliance Zimbabwe (FIAZ), which is an initiative that is aimed…

Read More

Health harm reduction necessary for sustainable development: Africa CDC

Dr Ahmed E. Ogwell Ouma, the Deputy Director-General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)  has said health harm reduction is the most viable option for attaining sustainable development on the continent. He made the remarks yesterday at the second edition of the African and first edition of the South-South Health…

Read More

Disaster preparedness key in addressing health emergencies

Healthcare systems should prepare proactively in cases of natural disasters, Dr. Katlego Mothudi, the Managing Director at the Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa (BHF) has said. He made the remarks today during the second edition of the African Conference on Risk Reduction that is taking place from September 27 to 29, 2023, in…

Read More

Morocco health harm reduction conference tackles risks related to natural disasters

The second edition of the African Conference on Risk Reduction is taking place from September 27 to 29, 2023, in Marrakech, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. This internationally significant event is jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, and…

Read More

Ban smoking and vaping in school to protect young people

Own Correspondent Geneva — Yesterday, the World Health Organization released two new publications, “Freedom from tobacco and nicotine: guide for schools,” and “Nicotine- and tobacco-free school toolkit” to help protect children’s health just in time for back-to-school season in many countries. The tobacco industry relentlessly targets young people with tobacco and nicotine products resulting in…

Read More

Gas leak at school investigated by authorities

Writes Elvis Dumba Kadoma – Officials from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Mines, Defense,  Environmental Management Agency, and security authorities as well as civil protection unit which includes police and army have instituted an investigation over a suspected unknown gas leakage or explosion that resulted in a gas poisoning incident at Jameson High School…

Read More

Action needed for UN commitments on TB testing, treatment: MSF

OWN CORRESPONDENT NEW YORK/GENEVA, SEPTEMBER 22, 2023—The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) welcomes leaders’ signing of a political declaration today on tuberculosis (TB) during the United Nations High-Level Meeting (HLM) on TB. In this declaration, world leaders committed to ramp up TB testing, treatment, and prevention efforts—for both adults and…

Read More

WHO appoints Chido Mpemba to its Social Connection Commission

Writes Reginald Tapfumanei Chido Mpemba, who currently serves as the youngest diplomat in the African Union Chairperson’s Cabinet, has been appointed as a Commissioner and co-chair of the Social Connection Commission by the World Health Organization (WHO) The Commission will have its Secretariat housed at the WHO headquarters in Geneva Switzerland, running under a three-year…

Read More

Open letter to President Emmerson Mnangagwa

Writes Itai Rusike (Executive Director of Community Working Group on Health) Now that the elections are over, the people of Zimbabwe expect the fulfilment of the election manifesto, in which you promised massive improvement in health infrastructure; more health personnel; accessible and affordable medicines; free medical care for cancer patients; at least one hospital per…

Read More

Shawn Michael Homera urges PWDs to value education

Writes Marlvin Ngiza 25-year-old Shawn Michael Homera, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honour’s degree in Mathematics at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) has advised young people with disabilities to set education as their priority saying that life with some academic qualifications offers better opportunities. The graduate revealed that education is a vibrant…

Read More

Power sharing resolves Zimbabwe’s political logjam

Writes Linda Tsungirirai Masarira (LEAD President) As a political party that was involved in the Zimbabwean 2023 elections, LEAD proposes that since the elections stand disputed the only way forward is an all-inclusive power-sharing arrangement. The LEAD proposed Power-sharing arrangement aims to reduce the risk of continued political polarisation and the possibility of civil conflict…

Read More

MSF refuses to sign ViiV’s NDA for access to lifesaving HIV prevention drug

CORRESPONDENT NEW YORK/GENEVA, AUGUST 17, 2023—Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is asking today for the removal of last-minute terms that ViiV Healthcare has added to an agreement to procure the injectable HIV prevention drug long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for use in MSF projects. These unacceptable conditions include a confidentiality clause akin to a Non-Disclosure Agreement…

Read More

Depression a silent killer

Writes Rumbidzai Mubirira A feeling of sadness and loss of interest in normal activities results in depression. Unnoticed, many people slipped into depression. Due to ignorance and lack of information, depression has been part of us for a long time, with people taking the symptoms as normal, resulting in a number of lives being lost….

Read More

Seminar spotlights post-COVID-19 recovery efforts for Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe Parliament staff

The 21st Zimbabwe-Zambia-Botswana (ZIM-ZAM-BOTS) Senior Parliamentary Staff Seminar put a spotlight on the sterling work undertaken by the various Parliaments during the COVID-19 lockdown period across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and worldwide. In his keynote address to the participants, Advocate Jacob Francis N. Mudenda, the Speaker of  Parliament of Zimbabwe during that…

Read More

IAS welcomes Jeanne Marrazzo as new Director of NIAID

IAS – the International AIDS Society – welcomes the appointment of Jeanne Marrazzo as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr Marrazzo, currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is recognized worldwide for her…

Read More

UNICEF, WHO call for supportive workplaces for breastfeeding female workers

Writes Marlvin Ngiza The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) have challenged governments, civil society organisations, and the private sector across the globe to up the game in ensuring the establishment of a supportive breastfeeding environment for all working mothers in the quest to reach the global target of 70 percent…

Read More

Queen of Peace receives CADAV philanthropic award

The Queen of Peace Institute for Community Mental Health Innovations and Rehabilitation was conferred with the glamorous CADAV National Philanthropic Award for its outstanding achievements in mental health and drug and substance abuse work in the Midlands Province. The awards were held at Jameson Hotel in Harare on the 29th of July 2023. The inaugural…

Read More

Health needs heighten as Sudan conflict displaces millions of people

The conflict in Sudan that has forced 3.4 million people to flee for safety within the country and across its borders is rapidly intensifying health threats, with cases of infectious diseases and other afflictions reported among the displaced population who have sought refuge in hard-to-reach locations, with limited health services. Among those uprooted from their…

Read More

World Population Report and World Population Day: Policies must prioritise wellbeing of people, environment

To achieve sustainable development as the world population has reached 8 billion people, policies must prioritize the well-being of both people and the environment. These were remarks today by His Excellency Edward Kallon, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator at the belated launch of the State of World Population Report and commemoration of World Population Day…

Read More

Old Mutual Zimbabwe Donates A Neo-Natal Ventilator to Murambinda Hospital

Murambinda Hospital, located in the town of Murambinda, Buhera District in Manicaland Province is owned and administered by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary under the endorsement and supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harare. It is the only hospital in Buhera District, with a population of nearly 300,000 over an area…

Read More

Drowning a major public health problem worldwide: UN

Writes Marlvin Ngiza The United Nations has cited drowning as a major public health problem which is claiming an estimate of 236 000 each year with emphasis placed on multi-sectoral action on installing barriers to access to water, strengthening education on swimming, improving flood risk management, and enforcing safe boating regulations among others. In a…

Read More

WHO calls for massive health investments

Writes Marlvin Ngiza The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called upon nations to prioritize investing into the health sector for more equitable and prosperous societies and economies. This was said by WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, during a press briefing on global health issues. In his remarks, Ghebreyesus said that low-income countries were failing to rebound…

Read More

My Food is African! Campaign promotes consumption of traditional Zimbabwean foodstuffs

Under the auspices of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe is undertaking a campaign in Zimbabwe to raise awareness and consciousness on the farming, and consumption of traditional Zimbabwean food under the banner of the My Food is African! Campaign. In Zimbabwe, the campaign is…

Read More

Address violence against young women and girls, uphold child safeguarding: ZACH

The Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals (ZACH) is making a passionate call for stakeholders to address all forms of violence against young women and girls that include physical, emotional, economic, and sexual violence as well as upholding child safeguarding with a view to reducing HIV Infections. This emerged at the ZACH annual media conference under…

Read More

Acquittals of child abusers worry NGO

Writes Tafadzwa Muranganwa A local Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO) is worried about the high incidences of acquittals of child molesters and rapists. Speaking at a media conference in the capital on Friday, Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related  Hospitals (ZACH) programme coordinator, Dennis Dzikiti revealed that the rate of acquittals of child molesters and rapists is worrying even the…

Read More

MSF: New medicine deal is a short-term solution for people with TB

J&J must end its patent monopoly on bedaquiline so generic versions of this lifesaving drug can be widely produced Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility announcement yesterday of a deal with US pharmaceutical corporation Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to provide access to affordable generic versions of lifesaving tuberculosis (TB) drug bedaquiline will only offer a…

Read More