Research Interests: Business, Marketing, Finance, Computer Science, Law, and 15 moreNursing, Knowledge Management, Corporate Governance, Health Care, Political Science, Public Relations, Computer Security, Telemedicine, Medicine, Hacker, Information and Communications Technology, Data Governance, Data Quality, Internet privacy, and Digital Health
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Background. Of late there has been increasing interest in risk management (RM) across the world due to the global financial crisis’s impact on the world economy and also the changing business environment characterized by threats from... more
Background. Of late there has been increasing interest in risk management (RM) across the world due to the global financial crisis’s impact on the world economy and also the changing business environment characterized by threats from economic, political, natural and technical resources. Health care organizations including medical laboratories are environments characterised by high management complexity and they are subject to a constant exposure to risks. The objective of the study was to investigate the ERM implementation challenges in the Zimbabwe medical laboratories sector. Methodology. A cross-sectional survey through 41 self-administered questionnaires and interviews with medical laboratory staff from the 6 main medical laboratories in Zimbabwe. Results. The main challenges identified in the study included increased workload, staffing, organisational structures, timeliness of information, inadequate information technology support and insufficient financial support in ERM. Conc...
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Control measures for the COVID‐19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to health care delivery. Some countries in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) stopped the provision of essential health care except for those services that were deemed... more
Control measures for the COVID‐19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to health care delivery. Some countries in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) stopped the provision of essential health care except for those services that were deemed emergencies or life‐threatening. A rapid review was conducted on March 18, 2022, on the accessibility and utilization of antenatal care services in sub‐Saharan Africa during the COVID‐19 pandemic. PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, and the World Health Organization library databases were searched for relevant studies. A modified Population, Intervention, Control, and Outcomes (PICO) framework informed the development of the search strategy. The review included studies conducted within Africa that described the availability, access, and utilization of antenatal services during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. This review revealed a reduction in access to ANC services, an increase in the number of home deliveries, and a red...
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Public Health Genomics (PHG) is a relatively new field. The wide application of genomic technologies played a pivotal role in elucidating the full genomic sequence of the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus. This breakthrough proved to be the starting point... more
Public Health Genomics (PHG) is a relatively new field. The wide application of genomic technologies played a pivotal role in elucidating the full genomic sequence of the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus. This breakthrough proved to be the starting point in the manufacture of diagnostic kits and the subsequent making of vaccines. Beyond the COVID‐19 pandemic, many African countries can take advantage of the various investments in genomic technologies to introduce and intensify the use of genomics for public health gain. Public Health Genomics effectively monitors, prevents, and manages non‐communicable and infectious diseases. However, there are several challenges to implementing PHG in Africa. In this perspective article, we discuss the utilization of PHG during the COVID‐19 pandemic, the lessons learned from using PHG to manage and contain the COVID‐19 pandemic, as well as potential challenges Africa may face when putting PHG into practice compared to challenges of other regions. We also discuss ...
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Background: Elemental lead (Pb) is an omnipresent heavy metal with no known in vivo function. Lead-based paints were the leading cause of environmental Pb contamination, until 1978 when an international ban on Pb-based paints was... more
Background: Elemental lead (Pb) is an omnipresent heavy metal with no known in vivo function. Lead-based paints were the leading cause of environmental Pb contamination, until 1978 when an international ban on Pb-based paints was pronounced. A subsequent pan ban was imposed on Pb use in other products including, but not limited to children’s toys and petroleum fuels. Pb toxicity in children, irreversibly affects their growth and development. We assessed the prevalence of high blood Pb levels (BLL) in children living in a potential high risk area and also assessed Pb levels in environmental specimens.Methods: This cross sectional study measured blood lead levels in 86children living in Mbare, a densely populated suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe, characterised by dwellings progressively constructed from 1907 through to the 1940s, before the ban of leaded paint. Study participants of both genders were under 6years of age. Potential risk factors of Pb poisoning were assessed. Pb levels were a...
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The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a significant global public health crisis. The unique evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen social media emerging and growing into an important vehicle for rapid... more
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a significant global public health crisis. The unique evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen social media emerging and growing into an important vehicle for rapid information dissemination. This has in turn given rise to multiple sources of information, leading to what has come to be known as ‘infodemic’, associated with the plethora of misinformation and conspiracy theories. In this perspective, we explore the growth of the social media industry and the impact it has had during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. We argue that while the multiple information pieces circulating on social media cause misinformation and panic, this might not necessarily and in all the cases influence sustained behaviours in the target population groups. We offer suggestions on how the power of social media can be harnessed and integrated into social and public health for a better digital balance for communication for development.
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Zimbabwe reported its first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on 20 March 2020 and the country’s response has largely adhered to international protocols. From the outset of the pandemic, most control measures were premised upon... more
Zimbabwe reported its first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on 20 March 2020 and the country’s response has largely adhered to international protocols. From the outset of the pandemic, most control measures were premised upon knowledge of breaking infectious diseases’ chains of transmission gained from previous experiences with comparable pathogens. As relatively little was known about the novel virus, and the prospects of effective vaccines were not on the horizon, these tough control measures were deemed appropriate. Two years into the pandemic, a massive evolution of knowledge has transpired, and safe and effective vaccines against the virus are now available, are administered to billions of people, and can significantly reduce new infections, severe disease, hospitalisation, and death from the disease. Based on the understanding of the pandemic and the need to restore socio-economic activities, in this review we propose a paradigm shift in addressing the challenges o...
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Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, four SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have emerged, which have shifted the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the disease. Of concern is the impact of the emerging variants on COVID-19... more
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, four SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have emerged, which have shifted the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the disease. Of concern is the impact of the emerging variants on COVID-19 vaccination programmes, with vaccination perceived as a key global pandemic control strategy. Variants of concern can reduce the effectiveness of the currently available vaccines, shift herd immunity thresholds, and promote wider vaccine inequities as richer countries hoard vaccines for booster shots for their populations without accounting for the needs of the underdeveloped countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, Africa lags far behind the rest of the world, with most sub-Saharan Africa countries still to reach 50% vaccination of their eligible populations against global herd immunity thresholds of 70–90%. As long as the vaccination gap between sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world persists, SARS-CoV-2 will most likely persist as a sign...
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The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an upsurge in antimicrobial use. The increase in use is multifactorial, and is particularly related to the empirical treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and suspected coinfections with antimicrobials and... more
The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an upsurge in antimicrobial use. The increase in use is multifactorial, and is particularly related to the empirical treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and suspected coinfections with antimicrobials and the limited quality of diagnostics to differentiate viral and bacterial pneumonia. The lack of clear clinical guidelines across a wide range of settings, and the inadequacy of public health sectors in many countries, have contributed to this pattern. The increased use of antimicrobials has the potential to increase incidences of antimicrobial resistance, especially in low-resource countries such as Zimbabwe already grappling with multidrug-resistant micro-organism strains. By adopting the antimicrobial stewardship principles of the correct prescription and optimised use of antimicrobials, as well as diagnostic stewardship, revamping regulatory oversight of antimicrobial surveillance may help limit the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance during thi...
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Despite an array of preventive global public health interventions, SARS-CoV-2 has continued to spread significantly, infecting millions of people across the globe weekly. Newer variants of interest and concern have continued to emerge,... more
Despite an array of preventive global public health interventions, SARS-CoV-2 has continued to spread significantly, infecting millions of people across the globe weekly. Newer variants of interest and concern have continued to emerge, placing the need for policymakers to rethink prevention strategies to end the pandemic. The approval of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for public health use in December 2020 was seen as a significant development towards pandemic control and possibly ending the pandemic. However, breakthrough infections have continued to be observed among the ‘fully vaccinated’, and the duration and sustainability of vaccine-induced immunity has remained a topical public health discourse. In the absence of accurate public health communication, the breakthrough infections and waning immunity concepts have potential to further compound vaccine hesitancy. With this viewpoint, we discuss breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections, waning immunity, the need for COVID-19 booster shots, vaccine...
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Wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in wastewater is desirable for understanding COVID-19 in settings where financial resources and diagnostic facilities for mass individual testing are severely limited. We... more
Wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in wastewater is desirable for understanding COVID-19 in settings where financial resources and diagnostic facilities for mass individual testing are severely limited. We conducted a rapid review to map research evidence on the utilization of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance in Africa. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and the World Health Organization library databases for relevant reports, reviews, and primary observational studies. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Narrative synthesis of the findings from included primary studies revealed the testing methodologies utilized and that detected amount of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA correlated with the number of new cases in the studied areas. The included reviews revealed the epidemiological significance and environmental risks of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater. Wastewater surveillance data at the community level can be leveraged for the rapid assessment of emerging threats and a...
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Abstract The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in adoption and implementation of mitigatory policies, including movement restrictions (lockdowns) to curb its spread. These lockdowns have brought unintended consequences such as increasing... more
Abstract The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in adoption and implementation of mitigatory policies, including movement restrictions (lockdowns) to curb its spread. These lockdowns have brought unintended consequences such as increasing the inequalities in health delivery. In the context of these restrictions, telemedicine provides an opportunity for continuation of essential health care provision. This review aimed to map available literature on the current status of telemedicine in sub-Saharan Africa to proffer recommendations for scale up during COVID-19 and beyond. Our review highlighted the lack of meaningful investment in the area. The literature identified resistance to telemedicine, infrastructural barriers, and the lack of policy and budgetary support as main deterrents to current implementation. We recommend the region to leverage on the rapid expansion of internet and telecommunication in addition to adopting a mix of strategies to set up an infrastructure for providing scale up of telemedicine and overcome barriers to implementation. There is an urgent need for policy formulation and the provision of budgetary support through sustainable business models.
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Understanding the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers is a critical component to inform occupational health policy and strategy. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to map and analayse the available... more
Understanding the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers is a critical component to inform occupational health policy and strategy. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to map and analayse the available global evidence on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers. The random-effects adjusted pooled prevalence of COVID-19 among those studies that conducted the test using the antibody (Ab) method was 7% [95% CI: 3 to 17%]. The random-effects adjusted pooled prevalence of COVID-19 among those studies that conducted the test using the PCR method was 11% [95% CI: 7 to 16%]. We found the burden of COVID-19 among healthcare workers to be quite significant and therefore a cause for global health concern. Furthermore, COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers affect service delivery through workers’ sick leave, the isolation of confirmed cases and quarantine of contacts, all of which place significant strain on an already shrunken hea...
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Background Evidence on the spectrum of risk factors for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among front-line healthcare workers (HCWs) has not been well-described. While several studies evaluating... more
Background Evidence on the spectrum of risk factors for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among front-line healthcare workers (HCWs) has not been well-described. While several studies evaluating the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among patient-facing and non-patient-facing front-line HCWs have been reported since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19), and several more are still underway. There is, therefore, an immediate need for an ongoing, rigorous systematic review that continuously assesses the risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection among front-line HCWs. Objective Here, we outline a protocol to serve as a guideline for conducting a living systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the burden of COVID-19 on front-line HCWs and identify risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in patient-facing and non-patient-facing front-line HCWs. Methods The protocol was developed and reported following the Prefe...
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The emergence of COVID-19 brought unprecedented opportunities to deploy emerging digital technologies such as robotics and drones to provide contactless services. Robots and drones transformed initial approaches to tackle COVID-19 and... more
The emergence of COVID-19 brought unprecedented opportunities to deploy emerging digital technologies such as robotics and drones to provide contactless services. Robots and drones transformed initial approaches to tackle COVID-19 and have proven to be effective in curbing the risk of COVID-19 in developed countries. Despite the significant impact of robots and drones in reducing the burden of frontline healthcare professionals, there is still limited literature on their utilization to fight the pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this rapid review provides significant capabilities of robots and drones while introspecting at the challenges and barriers that may hinder their implementation in developing countries. The study revealed that robots and drones have been used for disinfection, delivery of medical supplies, surveillance, consultation and screening and diagnosis. The study revealed that adopting robots and drones face challenges such as infrastructural, financial, technological barriers, security and privacy issues, lack of policies and frameworks regulating the use of robots and drones in healthcare. We, therefore, propose a collaborative approach to mobile resources and invest in infrastructure and bridge the digital divide among the various nations on the continent coordinated efforts to craft policies and frameworks for effectively integrating robots and drones in healthcare. There is a need to include robotics in the medical education and training of health workers and develop indigenous knowledge and encourage international collaboration. Partnership with civil aviation authorities to license and monitor drones to improve monitoring and security of drone activities. Robots and drones should guarantee superior safety features since it either directly interacts with human or works in a densely populated environment. However, future work should focus on the long term consequences of robots and drones on human behaviour and interaction as well as in healthcare.
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Abstract Telemedicine is the use of technology to achieve remote care. This review looks at the utility of telemedicine during the pandemic, period March 2020 to February 2021. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria. There was moderate... more
Abstract Telemedicine is the use of technology to achieve remote care. This review looks at the utility of telemedicine during the pandemic, period March 2020 to February 2021. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria. There was moderate use of telemedicine in sub‐Sahara Africa during the pandemic, however, there were also some limitations. Benefits of telemedicine include continuing medical service provision, connecting relatives with loved ones in quarantine, education, and awareness of mental health issues, and toxicovigilance and infection control. Challenges to the implementation of telemedicine on the continent were lack of supporting telemedicine framework and policies, digital barriers, and patient and healthcare personnel biases. To address these challenges, this article proposes the development of policy frameworks that fosters telemedicine use by all stakeholders, including medical insurance organizations, the introduction of telemedicine training of medical workers, educational awareness programs for the public, and improvement of digital platforms access and affordability.
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The arrival of COVID-19 has disrupted health service provision globally. In this note, the authors discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of tuberculosis (TB) services in Zimbabwe. TB is endemic in the country and... more
The arrival of COVID-19 has disrupted health service provision globally. In this note, the authors discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of tuberculosis (TB) services in Zimbabwe. TB is endemic in the country and disruption of services may potentially have serious consequences for patients with existing and undiagnosed TB. In this letter, the authors discuss the need for innovative strategies that ensure TB prevention and treatment services in a manner which reduces COVID-19 risk of patients and healthcare workers.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over nineteen million people globally with over 700 000 fatalities as of 9 August 2020. To date, Africa has recorded the least amount of COVID-19 confirmed cases. As of 9 August 2020,... more
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over nineteen million people globally with over 700 000 fatalities as of 9 August 2020. To date, Africa has recorded the least amount of COVID-19 confirmed cases. As of 9 August 2020, Africa has 1, 037, 135 cases compared to 10, 615, 855 in Americas and 3, 061, 264 in Europe. In this piece, the authors unpack the low numbers of laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa - is it a case of limited testing capacity due to poor health systems or otherwise?
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Widespread vaccination provides a means for countries to lift strict COVID-19 restrictions previously imposed to contain the spread of the disease. However, to date, Africa has secured enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for less than 5% of its... more
Widespread vaccination provides a means for countries to lift strict COVID-19 restrictions previously imposed to contain the spread of the disease. However, to date, Africa has secured enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for less than 5% of its population. With widespread vaccination not on the horizon for Africa, there is a strong emphasis on non-pharmaceutical interventions which include movement restrictions (lockdowns). This general COVID-19 pandemic response of imposing lockdowns, however, neglects to factor in non-fatal consequences leading to disruption socio-economic wellbeing of the society at large. The economy in most African countries can no longer sustain lockdown restrictions. Some studies have indicated that a hard lockdown statistical value of the extra lives saved would be dwarfed by its long-term cost. At the same time not responding to the threat of the pandemic will cost lives and disrupts the social fabric. This paper proffers ways to mitigate the both and advocate for better policymaking that addresses specific challenges in defined communities thus yield higher population welfare.
Telemedicine is the use of technology to achieve remote care. This review looks at the utility of telemedicine during the pandemic, period March 2020 to February 2021. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria. There was moderate use of... more
Telemedicine is the use of technology to achieve remote care. This review looks at the utility of telemedicine during the pandemic, period March 2020 to February 2021. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria. There was moderate use of telemedicine in sub‐Sahara Africa during the pandemic, however, there were also some limitations. Benefits of telemedicine include continuing medical service provision, connecting relatives with loved ones in quarantine, education, and awareness of mental health issues, and toxicovigilance and infection control. Challenges to the implementation of telemedicine on the continent were lack of supporting telemedicine framework and policies, digital barriers, and patient and healthcare personnel biases. To address these challenges, this article proposes the development of policy frameworks that fosters telemedicine use by all stakeholders, including medical insurance organizations, the introduction of telemedicine training of medical workers, educational awa...
The connection between under-nutrition and HIV is bidirectional. It affects the quality of life, as well as the survival of affected people. While this is the case, there are various nutritional challenges, which are faced by people... more
The connection between under-nutrition and HIV is bidirectional. It affects the quality of life, as well as the survival of affected people. While this is the case, there are various nutritional challenges, which are faced by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), and which hamper the fight against the scourge. This study therefore sought to map literature on the nutritional challenges among PLWH in sub-Saharan Africa and guide future research in nutritional management to improve health outcomes for PLWH. A systematic search was done from the following sources: PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EBSCOhost (CINAHL and Academic Search Complete), Web of Science, and Google Scholar. In addition, information was obtained both from unpublished studies, which included book chapters, reference lists, theses and conference papers. Eleven (11) studies met the inclusion criteria, and were used for data extraction. The studies were based in different countries, which form part of...
Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) poses an important occupational health risk to health workers (HWs) that has attracted global scrutiny. To date, several thousand HWs globally have been reported as infected with the severe acute... more
Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) poses an important occupational health risk to health workers (HWs) that has attracted global scrutiny. To date, several thousand HWs globally have been reported as infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus that causes the disease. It is therefore a public health priority for policymakers to understand risk factors for this vulnerable group to avert occupational transmission. A rapid review was carried out on 20 April 2020 on Covid-19 risk factors among HWs in PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCOHost Web (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE with Full Text, CINAHL with Full Text, APA PsycInfo, Health SourcedConsumer
Edition, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition) and WHO Global Database. We also searched for preprints on the medRxiv database. We searched for reports, reviews, and primary observational studies
(case control, case cross-over, cross-sectional, and cohort). The review included studies conducted among HWs with Covid-19 that reported risk factors irrespective of their sample size. Eleven studies met
the inclusion criteria. Lack of personal protective equipment, exposure to infected patients, work overload, poor infection control, and preexisting medical conditions were identified as risk factors for Covid-19 among HWs. In the context of Covid-19, HWs face an unprecedented occupational risk of morbidity
and mortality. There is need for rapid development of sustainable measures that protect HWs from the
pandemic.
Edition, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition) and WHO Global Database. We also searched for preprints on the medRxiv database. We searched for reports, reviews, and primary observational studies
(case control, case cross-over, cross-sectional, and cohort). The review included studies conducted among HWs with Covid-19 that reported risk factors irrespective of their sample size. Eleven studies met
the inclusion criteria. Lack of personal protective equipment, exposure to infected patients, work overload, poor infection control, and preexisting medical conditions were identified as risk factors for Covid-19 among HWs. In the context of Covid-19, HWs face an unprecedented occupational risk of morbidity
and mortality. There is need for rapid development of sustainable measures that protect HWs from the
pandemic.