Category: MENTAL HEALTH

Rebuilt from Ruin: Overcoming the Psychological Scars of Injury

Healthtimes

For professional athletes and gym rats, a major injury is a brutal blow. It’s not just the throbbing pain and logistical nightmares, but the mental gut punch of being benched from your passion. After physio purgatory and a clean bill of health, you might think you’re good to go. But hold up – there’s often a mental hurdle to clear. Fear of re-injury or losing your skills can leave you stuck on the sidelines. This awfully often happens with the players in the Premier League in recent years, making managers…

Read More

Convicting Crystal Meth/Mutoriro Possession: Zimbabwe’s Biggest Legal Lacuna

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is experiencing a Drug and Substance abuse crisis. The drug epidemic is mainly affecting young people mostly males, even though the prevalence of females who use drugs is also rising. According to the 2022 Situation Assessment report of drug use in Zimbabwe, 58.47 percent of males use drugs in Zimbabwe, while females account for 40.59 percent. One drug that has wreaked havoc in Zimbabwe is Crystal meth, a common name for crystal methamphetamine, a strong and highly addictive drug that affects the central nervous system.  There…

Read More

Zim Kambucha officially an Alcohol

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere With a majority of Zimbabweans defending Kambucha as a non-alcoholic beverage, it has emerged that it is a liquor, an alcoholic substance. The beverage is touted as “a health drink made from natural ingredients such as lemon, garlic, black pepper and ginger”. Manufactured by Fresh Kambucha Zimbabwe, the product was Tuesday granted a wholesale liquor license by the Liquor Licensing Board. This means it is actually an alcohol quashing notions from its consumers that it wasn’t. Fresh Kambucha Zimbabwe is owned by one Mr Willard Chinguwa with…

Read More

Combating Drug and Substance Abuse among School Children: A Fight for Everyone

Healthtimes

By Olivia Ganya The scourge of drug and substance abuse plagues schools across our nation. Far too many promising young lives are being lost or derailed by the lure of illicit substances. However, there is hope – as a society, we can come together to protect our most vulnerable from facing this threat alone. Drug and substance abuse can have severe consequences on the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of school children. It can impede their academic performance, disrupt social relationships, and lead to long-term health problems. Additionally, substance abuse…

Read More

Zimbabwe Drug Peddlers Selling Drugs To 14 Year Olds

Kuda Pembere

Local drug dealers, also known as MaJazzMan are now disregarding age and selling drugs to whoever shows up on their doorstep, a UNCEF Report has said. By Kudakwashe Pembere According to a UNICEF September 2023 research brief dubbed, ‘Understanding drug use and substance abuse by Zimbabwean adolescents and young people’, it was found that these dealers popularly known as ‘maJazzman’ are so profit-driven they condone any age. The research brief is a summary of the findings and recommendations from Muthengo Development Studies (MDS), Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN),…

Read More

Drug Abuse Admissions Overwhelm Annex Psychiatric Hospital

Michael Gwarisa

Parirenyatwa Annex Hospital, the Psychiatric division of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH), is currently admitting more drug and substance abusers compared to other mental health patients, officials have said. By Michael Gwarisa The development has disrupted care and service provision for other mental health conditions at the facility. Even though the facility at some point reduced the admissions to 10 adults at any given time at the back of ongoing renovations, data shows that more than half of bed occupants are drug and substance abusers. Speaking to HealthTimes, Parirenyatwa Group…

Read More

MCAZ seizes illegal cough syrups BronCleer and Adco-Salterpyn

Healthtimes

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) yesterday impounded 450 bottles of cough syrups in Belvedere, Harare. By Kuda Pembere and Nthokozo Gudu The Authority working with CID drugs and narcotics confiscated bottles of BronCleer and Adco-Salterpyn which are unregistered medical products in the country during a raid in the area. After an anonymous tipoff, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has successfully confiscated a total of 450 Bottles of illegal cough syrups (BronCleer and Adco-Salterpyn) during a raid conducted at Old Trafford flats located at 13 Edmond Avenue,…

Read More

Kambucha is an alcohol, Masvingo Council Doctor claims

Kuda Pembere

Masvingo City Council has banned its employees from consuming Kambucha, a fermented tea product, during working hours after learning it contains alcohol. By Kuda Pembere Touted as a non-intoxicating product with health benefits, a Masvingo doctor advised the Council Kambucha makes people drunk. Some people who have been drinking this product state a certain Kambucha number 3 made them drunk. “It has come to our attention that some council employees come to work drunk due to consumption of alcohol and other intoxicating substances. ” It has also been noted that…

Read More

How Climate Change is Fueling a Mental Health Crisis in Urban Zimbabwe

Healthtimes

By Taurai Nyandoro If there are any global issues that have garnered and evoked increased attention in the past few years, it has to be climate change and mental health. A growing body of evidence points to the connection between climate change and mental health. In fact, there is a link between climate change and mental disorders, including fear, anxiety, stress, insomnia, depression, lost self-efficacy, mood disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Urban residents in Zimbabwe are not immune to the impacts of droughts, floods, and heatwaves. Unsurprisingly, these changes…

Read More

Kwekwe Town Council/ Police Remove Mentally Ill People From The Streets

Healthtimes

Kwekwe City Council together with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and other social welfare departments launched a blitz today to round up mentally ill individuals in Kwekwe Central Business District for the safety of the general public. The decision came after a distressing incident last week, where a 23-year-old man was struck on the head to death by a mentally ill person. The city has in recent times become a home to mentally ill patients and street kids who terrorise the public. Kwekwe City Council Director of Housing and Health…

Read More