https://www.herald.co.zw/sweet-poison-tracing-the-dirty-making-of-fake-honey/
Sweet poison: Tracing the dirty making of fake honey
Nipping cholera in the bud…refuse collection, provision of clean water critical
https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/nipping-cholera-in-the-bud-refuse-collection-provision-of-clean-water-critical
Health experts fret over cholera resurgence
Credits: Newsday By Vanessa Gonye | Apr. 10, 2023
HEALTH experts have expressed concern over the resurgence in cholera cases, which they blame on poor sanitation and a lack of long-term planning for water supplies in urban areas.
Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director Itai Rusike said cholera will continue to wreak havoc until there is a long-term plan on water sanitation and hygiene intervention.
“Prolonged water cuts in most urban areas are leading to use of unsafe alternatives such as unprotected shallow wells and faecal matter-contaminated boreholes. Local government earmarks revenue for waste collection, this should not be reallocated to other spending. Residents should be brought into monitoring waste dumping. Residents and businesses can provide initial support with clean-up campaigns but routine waste collection, water treatment services and more reliable provisioning need to be improved as a public health priority,” Rusike said.
“The mainstay of prevention of cholera is the provision of safe water, adequate sanitation, good personal hygiene, case management, surveillance and community mobilisation. Cholera vaccination may be used to complement primary measures,” he said.
Cholera, a diarrheal infectious disease continues to cause high morbidity and mortality in Zimbabwe.
Without treatment, death can occur within hours.
Health policy specialist Tinashe Mundawarara said more investment is needed to deal with cholera.
“Investments are needed to detect, prevent, control and monitor cholera. This is further compounded by the fact that cholera is now a protracted epidemic in this country. I am not sure if government has a cost-effective strategy for border screening given that it is resource intensive,” he said.
The country is currently experiencing a new wave of cholera infections, which emanated from Chegutu and has spread across the country, bringing to 17 new cholera hotspots.
Previously, there were only four hotspots.
The new cholera hotspots are Buhera, Chegutu, Chikomba, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Chitungwiza, Chiredzi, Harare, Gokwe North, Marondera, Mazowe, Shamva, Mutare, Murehwa, Mwenezi, Seke and Wedza.
Health expert Josephat Chiripanyanga said: “We encourage people to follow guidelines for cholera prevention so as to ensure that we limit the occurrence of cholera as much as possible. There is a need to practise proper waste (human included) disposal especially in the rural areas to reduce or prevent it from spreading. We all know the adverse effects of cholera and the country has had two serious outbreaks with devastating outcomes. It will be equally bad if we lag behind on prevention.”
As of Thursday last week, there were a cumulative 382 suspected cholera cases, two laboratory-confirmed deaths, five suspected cholera deaths and 71 laboratory-confirmed cases reported.
Health experts have warned that if no action is taken, the cholera outbreak could lead to more fatalities.
CONCERN OVER HYPERTENSION . . . prevalence estimated at about 30 percent of population
Credits: H-metro by Tanaka Mahanya 07 April, 2023
ZIMBABWE is experiencing a rise in non-communicable diseases with hypertension now top of the list.
The country joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Health Day.
It will be held under the theme ‘‘Health for All’’.
The theme resonates well with the growing global call for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which seeks to ensure that people have access to the healthcare they need, without suffering financial hardships.
The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has called on the Government to ensure that health services are available, accessible and affordable to every citizen of Zimbabwe.
In a statement, CWGH executive director, Itai Rusike, said the country was experiencing a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
“Rapid, unplanned, unregulated urbanisation and changes in lifestyles as people migrate from rural to urban areas are causing an increase in the risk factors that cause NCDs and conditions such as injuries, disabilities and substance abuse.
“The prevalence of hypertension is estimated at about 30 percent of the total population, which is higher than HIV, tuberculosis and diabetes.
“Addressing the burden of non-communicable diseases constitutes an integral part of achieving good health and well-being.”
Rusike said targets had been set to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment by one-third by 2030.
“The country also suffers a high burden of cancer with the cervical cancer burden being within the top five in the world. “Treatment costs for all cancers remain very high, inconsistent and unaffordable for most people.”
Cholera: Experts call for access to clean water
Credits: Newsday By Lorraine Muromo and Vanessa Gonye | Mar. 30, 2023
health experts have urged government to ensure citizens have access to clean potable water to stop the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
The country has witnessed a number of cholera cases with suspected cases in 10 provinces numbering 267, while 209 recoveries and two deaths were recorded. Cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of US$24 168 353 for cholera preparedness and response plan.
Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike said to effectively deal with cholera, government should deal with fundamental public health issues like access to water.
“The current cholera outbreak is occurring in the context of frequent water and power cuts, and a breakdown of rubbish collection. Advice to boil water is difficult to follow during water and power cuts. The situation on the ground indicates that while water and sanitation infrastructure exists, these are old and malfunctioning and tariff structures are needed to protect poor households’ access,” Rusike said.
He said unsafe environments continued to be a health threat, particularly for poor households and should be more focused on high-density suburbs and rural areas, where significant gaps remain in terms of access to safe water and sanitation.
Medical and Dental Private Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe president Johannes Marisa said while government’s US$24 million pledge towards fighting cholera was welcome, water and sanitation issues should be prioritised.
“It’s needless to fight symptoms when the predisposing factors are dominant, water and sanitation should be robust and up to standard if we are going to contain cholera. Monitoring and surveillance is also important, as well as education on cholera and its symptoms.”
TB survivor had to overcome stigma, discrimination
https://www.chronicle.co.zw/tb-survivor-had-to-overcome-stigma-discrimination/
Zim cholera cases rise to 98
Credits: Newsday By Vanessa Gonye | Mar. 17, 2023
ZIMBABWE recorded 31 new suspected cholera cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 98, with health experts, calling on local authorities to improve access to water and sanitation to avert a national disaster.
In a daily situation report on Wednesday, the Health and Child Care ministry said there was one casualty, while three of the suspected cases tested positive to the diarrhoeal disease on the day.
“The 31 new suspected cholera cases and 3 laboratory confirmed cases were reported today (Wednmesday). These were reported from Centenary (15), Beitbridge (11), Chegutu (4) and Chivi (1),” the ministry said.
“Fourteen of the suspected cases and one suspected death brought in dead (BID) were Mozambican nationals from Kadunje Village who sought treatment at Chiwenga Clinic, Centenary district, Mashonaland Central province, bordering Mozambique.”
The first two cholera case were recorded in Chegutu last month.
“As of 15 March 2023, one case is hospitalised at Chivi District Hospital Cholera Treatment Unit (CTU), Masvingo province. Zimbabwe has 98 suspected cholera cases, eight confirmed cases, 97 recoveries and one death,” the ministry said.
The country’s worst cholera outbreak occurred in 2008, which left more than 4 000 dead and another 40 000 infected.
Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike said recurrent cholera outbreaks exposed lack of maintenance of the country’s water and sewer reticulation infrastructure.
“Inadequate access to water and sanitation infrastructure is a major source of health challenges and disease outbreaks such as cholera,” Rusike said.
“The aging and unrepaired sewer systems, waste put in sewers due to poor waste collection, illegal waste dumps, overflowing septic tanks and frequent water and power cuts are also causative factors. Most sewerage reticulation systems and treatment works are in a state of disrepair, raising the risk of diarrhoeal diseases including cholera.”
Tinashe Mundawarara, a health policy specialist said Zimbabwe needs to improve its access to water and sanitation.
“From a policy perspective, our health system will always be judged on its responsiveness, that is, will the Ministry of Health be able to stop the spread and at the same time ensure adequate health care provision for those with immediate need? The next few days will be critical on these two issues and funding will be an urgent need,” Mundawarara said.
More men dying than women: ZimStat
Credits: Newsday By Priveledge Gumbodete | Mar. 15, 2023
ZIMBABWEAN men are dying more than women, latest statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) have revealed.
The report, based on the 2022 population and housing census, shows that 120 070 deaths were recorded during the census with 53,6% of the dead being men and 46,4% being women.
Last year, ZimStat preliminary national census results revealed that females constitute the majority of the population, numbering 7 889 421 or 52%, compared to the male population of 7 289 588 (48%).
This was also followed by another set of results showing that life expectancy for females now stands at 68 years compared to male life expectancy which is 61,2 years.
“A total of 120 070 deaths were recorded during the census. Male deaths constituted 53,6% of the total deaths recorded during the census. Throughout all age groups, males had higher mortality rates compared to females,” the report read.
Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike said health-seeking behaviour among men is poor compared to women.
Rusike said clients at health centres are often women and children less than five years.
“There is a particular focus in primary healthcare on women and children due to their vulnerability and the fact that their ill-health affects the wider community. Apart from the general inputs that all people need for health, women also need services to support safe reproductive health, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of infections such as HIV, child delivery and care, including nutrition during pregnancy,” Rusike said.
“The spread of health information, improvement of nutrition, safe living and community environments are key to disease prevention amongst men. Prevention and management of common diseases also depends on early detection and treatment. We are also aware that unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking cigarettes and alcohol abuse are a lot more prevalent in men compared to women.”
Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights secretary Norman Matara said quantitative research is needed to establish why more men were dying than women.
Matara said women practice self-care while men are reckless.
“This is why most men died during the census period compared to women.”
Zimstats data also showed that 78 384 deaths constituting 64,7% were registered while unregistered deaths constituted 30,3% and 5,0% had an unknown status.
‘Zim health sector in dire straits’
Credits: Newsday By Sharon Buwerimwe | Mar. 14, 2023
THE country’s health sector has been plunged into dire straits as poor remuneration and working conditions drives qualified health professionals into the diaspora where they are being employed as simple nurse aides, health experts have said.
The country has over the years recorded a mass exodus of skilled workers, who have opted for menial foreign jobs owing to poor remuneration back home.
Currently, the country has lost at least 3 000 nurses to the UK alone in the past two years.
Salary negotiations have yielded little and have resulted in perennial job action and deadlocks.
Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike told NewsDay that skilled health professionals are opting to do care work outside the country simply because government is failing to pay health workers decent wages.
“One of the major challenges facing Zimbabwe’s public health care system is brain drain. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists have left and continue to leave the country to destinations like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. In fact, Zimbabwean health professionals are now found in nearly all countries, including non-traditional destinations such as Dubai,” Rusike said.
“It is very unfortunate that senior, highly-qualified and experienced health professionals are now opting to do a Red-Cross short course on care work so that they can quickly get the work visa permit for the UK and leave the country with their spouses and children with very little chances of coming back any time soon.
“The country has failed to stabilise the brain drain for a number of decades, and recently some clinics in the capital city have closed for lack of staff. Health care workers continue to be trained but fail to fill in the posts established in the 1980s, let alone the posts and establishment required to deal with the current population, disease epidemiology and health and development targets.”
Public Service International sub-regional secretary for Southern Africa Tichaona Fambisa said: “This is a serious problem because what this means is that poor countries like Zimbabwe are subsidising the health systems of developed countries. Health professionals are trained in the country and after that they leave to serve other countries. Government should make sure that they invest more in public service so that public sector workers and health workers can earn decent salaries and fail to find reasons to migrate.”
Efforts to get a comment from Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Paul Mavima were fruitless. But speaking to NewsDay last week; Mavima said government was in the process of increasing salaries for health workers to slow down the exodus.
‘Zim likely to miss SDG target for reducing matenal mortality’
File picture: Pregnant woman
MATERNAL and neonatal mortality remains a health concern in Zimbabwe, Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has said.
CWGH director Itai Rusike told NewsDay Weekender that the country remains off target towards meeting the 2030 United Nations (UN) goals to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
“Despite the high coverage of births by a skilled attendant and institutions delivery, maternal mortality remains high at 462/100 000 live births,” Rusike said.
“In addition, the high HIV rates among pregnant women at 14,3% increases the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Furthermore, neonatal mortality has remained stagnant for the past decade at 321/1 000 live births and under five mortality remains high at 65/1 000 live births.
“Likewise, besides being a priority, preventing the death of newborn babies remains a challenge and the country is off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target by 2030, that every country should have a neonatal mortality rate of 12 or fewer deaths per 1 000 live births.”
Maternal mortality in Zimbabwe is 363 per 100 000 live births, according to the preliminary results of the 2022 housing and population census.
According to Rusike, while this is an improvement from the 614/100 000 live births for maternal deaths recorded in 2014, the slow rate of improvement indicates that Zimbabwe is unlikely to meet the SDG target for reducing maternal mortality.
Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are leading causes of death and disability among women of reproductive age.
“Most of these deaths are caused by a handful of conditions, from which death is largely preventable. Almost 95 % of our maternal and perinatal death cases are deemed to be avoidable,” Rusike said.
“This speaks to the issue of the quality of care at the point of care in our hospitals. This also highlights the importance of investigating the state of healthcare institutions with the view to devise probable interventions to improve quality of care.”