Category: SRHR

Caesarean Births Rise By 100% At Sally Mugabe Hospital

Healthtimes

THE number of caesarean operations at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital Maternity wing has shot up by 100 percent following the renovation and re-equipping of theatre one by financial services institution, Stanbic Bank last month. HealthTimes Reporter Sally Mugabe Maternity Ward Matron Senior Nursing Officer Dade Gertrude Pedzisai said the Maternity ward was now able to complete all its caesarean section elective list as well as attend to all emergency operations from all over Harare thanks to the inspired donation by Stanbic Bank. Sister Pedzisai said when the ward was operating…

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Vasikana Project Launches Groundbreaking Menstrual Health Shona Comic Book

Michael Gwarisa

IN a move that is likely to break menstrual health related barriers and misinformation among learners of primary school going age, Vasikana Project has partnered with Menstrupedia of India,  StayFree  Africa and The Sister Accord Foundation to publish a Menstrupedia Shona Comic book in Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa Vasikana Project is a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) championing girl empowerment through menstrual health education and they worked with Menstrupedia of India who are the original publishers of the book to translate the comic into Shona. The Sister Accord Foundation donated US$2500…

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Humrel Donates Sanitary Wear To Girls With Special Needs

Healthtimes

HUMREL Supply Chain Group together with its partners have donated an assortment of sanitary wear and toiletries to Saint Catherine Special School in Eastle, in a move that is likely to ease challenges faced by girls especially those with special needs in managing the menstrual health. By Patricia Mashiri The donation also coincided with the 2021 Menstrual Hygiene Day which is running under the theme “More action & investment in menstrual health & hygiene now!” Some of the partners who collaborated with Humrel in the initiative include Oxfam, Bowerbrands Media,…

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Isolated And Frowned Upon: The Plight Of Zim Women With Obstetric Fistula

Michael Gwarisa

 UNFPA Says there is need for post-surgery psycho-social support for survivors MEMORY (50) (real name protected) from Bikita, Masvingo experienced Obstetric Fistula for the first time on October, 27, 1995 when she had her second child. At first, she didn’t even know what was happening to her, she thought it was just a minor tearing which would heal after a few days. Obstetric fistula is described as the “most devastating birth injury” by the World Health Organization (WHO), that results in continuous and uncontrollable leaking of urine or faeces, resulting…

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Zimbabwe Rolls Out “SAYANA PRESS,” A New Long-term Contraceptive Method

Michael Gwarisa

A modern and long lasting but reversible contraceptive method called Sayana Press, is currently being rolled out across Zimbabwe in a move that is set to expand birth control options for women. By Michael Gwarisa The contraceptive product was piloted in 2020 while the rollout commenced in April 2021 covering, Mashonaland East, Matebeleland North, Bulawayo and Matebeleland South. In other parts of the country, the Sayana is only being administered at Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), Population Services International (PSI) and Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) clinics. Speaking to HealthTimes,…

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Obstetric Fistula: New Amnesty International Report Reveals How Barriers To Accessing Public Health Facilities Expose Zim Women And Girls To Life-changing Childbirth Related Injuries

Healthtimes

PREGNANT  women and girls in Zimbabwe are at risk of  life changing childbirth-related injuries, including obstetric fistula, as many shun public healthcare facilities in favour of home-based deliveries due to inadequate health infrastructure, cultural practices  and high hospital costs, Amnesty International said today in a new report. HealthTimes Reporter The report, “I never thought I could get healed from this“, lays bare the physical and psychological trauma that women and girls who experience obstetric fistula in Zimbabwe go through. The condition, described as the “most devastating birth injury” by the…

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Taking Child Marriages And SGBV Fight Right To The Doorstep Of Marginalized Tribes In Mbire

Michael Gwarisa
Women in Mazambara, Mbire benefit from the SASA model

MBIRE district in Mashonaland Central is home to vast wildlife including the famous Big Five even though one of the animals, the Black Rhino has since vanished from the picture. Despite the rugged terrain and a poor road network ahead, the meandering and curvaceous road leading to Mbire through the Mavhuradonha mountain range makes one green with envy. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Mbire However, beyond this beauty lies a monster, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), which has led to a spike in the incidence and prevalence of early…

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Sex Toys Destroying Marriages Says Zim’s Top Psychologist

Michael Gwarisa

THE use of sex toys which of late have been on the increase in Zimbabwe, could be a trigger for loss of affection and desire in marriages leading to high divorce rates and spousal separation, a top Psychologist has warned. By Michael Gwarisa Over the past few years, marketing and distribution of sex toys in Zimbabwe has become trendy with the latest offering being the licensing of an Online Sex Toy Shop in the country in 2020 while other distributors use their social media platforms to market and sale the…

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Women And Girls Need Post COVID-19 Support

Healthtimes

THE COVID-19 pandemic has further widened existing social and economic inequalities between women and men, leaving women and girls prone to Gender Based Violations (GBV) and other societal ills, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) championing women and girls rights have said. By Patricia Mahsiri Speaking during a virtual meeting on the Impact of COVID-19 Stimulus Packages in Zimbabwe on GBV Interventions, Tawanda Zimhunga, Deputy Director Protection Services, Ministry of Public Service Labor and Social Services said when households and communities are placed under pressure, the risk of multiple forms of violence…

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Nearly Half Of All Women Are Denied Their Bodily Autonomy, Says new UNFPA report

Healthtimes

NEARLY half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to decide whether to have sex with their partners, use contraception or seek health care, according to UNFPA’s 2021 flagship State of World Population report, released today. By Staff Reporter According to the UNFPA report, the lack of bodily autonomy has massive implications beyond the profound harms to individual women and girls: potentially depressing economic productivity, undercutting skills, and resulting in extra costs to health care and judicial systems. Through the groundbreaking report, UNFPA is measuring both women’s…

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