Category: Nutrition

Midlands Province Successfully Integrates Pediatric ART and Nutrition

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa recently in Lower Gweru THE Midlands province has successfully integrated nutrition and paediatric Anti Retro Viral Therapy (ART) programs in a bid to reduce infant mortality as a result of HIV induced malnutrition, a health official has said. Briefing Journalists on the side-lines of a Save the children Nutrition Media Sensitisation Tour of Lower Gweru, Midlands Province District Medical Officer, Dr Shakespeare Mureyano said there was poor uptake of Pediatric ART in the area and as a result, opportunistic infections like diarrhea would attack children who are…

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Malnutrition Almost Killed My 2 year Old Baby…Woman Narrates Ordeal

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“At that time, she was 1 year 7 months old, I had already introduced her to solid foods, I would say I started feeding her porridge  a day after she was born not knowing it would affect my child…” By Michael Gwarisa recently in Shamva “Mwana anofanira kudya tuporridge tu tete tete, kana tumahewu netumvura kuti asimbe mudumbu, ukaona mwana achiramba kuyamwa anenge achichema zita!” Loosely translated “A new born baby must and should be fed porridge, or traditional non-alcoholic brew or water, if you see your child crying all…

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The Power Of Women Support Groups in Scaling Up Nutrition

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By Michael Gwarisa recently in Shamva ZIMBABWE witnessed a surge in child malnutrition cases in the years 2015/16 owing to the Elnino induced drought which left millions of Zimbabweans from most parts of the country in need of food aid. According to information gathered by Save the Children Zimbabwe a Non- Governmental Organisation which deals with issues affecting children and their rights, cases of Severe Malnutrition were recorded over the past two years as a result of the droughts and extreme cases were documented in Binga, Chegutu, Kariba, Shamva and…

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The Plight Of Malnourished HIV Positive Mothers In Hopely

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“We end up eating our baby’s food because the situation at times becomes so bad, there wont be any food in the house…” By Michael Gwarisa  IT’S a Wednesday morning and hundreds of women both young and old are queuing at a World Food Program (WFP) container cubicle at Hopley Satellite Clinic to get their monthly allocations of fortified food for them and their young ones. Amongst the women is one weary looking young woman seating by the long bench with her baby clutched on her back. A gaze deep…

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WFP’s Nutritional support gives hope to Zim mothers

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By Tatenda Rodney Macheka WFP is supporting more than 7000 children in Zimbabwe reap the long-term benefits of a healthy start to life. For Deladina Chiota, the anticipated joys of motherhood did not meet her exact expectations. When Deladina unexpectedly gave birth to twin girls — Gracious and Precious — her husband blamed her for bringing a double burden to his life, and left her. As a young, newly-single mother, Deladina braced herself and decided to embrace what life had offered.“There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins,” says…

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Manicaland Records Highest Rate of Stunted Children

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By Michael Gwarisa MANICALAND province recorded a 49% stunted growth rate in children in 2016, against an average of 26% owing to a high malnutrition incidence in the area. Briefing a Child Parliamentarians engagement meeting on Nutrition Budget advocacy in Bindura, Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation Executive Director January Mvula singled out the high prioritisation of cash crops over food crops as the major driver of malnutrition and stuntedness in children in the area. “Stunting rate of Zimbabwe is at 27% with high number of boys. This Translate to 1…

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Save The Children Rolls Out Ambitious Nutrition Project

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By Michael Gwarisa SAVE the Children United Kingdom has availed US$6 000 towards a child food and nutrition project in Zimbabwe in a bid to complement government’s budgetary allocation towards nutrition. Speaking to HealthTimes on the sidelines of Scaling up nutrition training workshop in Harare,National Coordinator -Zimbabwe Civil Society Organizations Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance (ZCSOSUNA) Kudakwashe Zombe said they were engaging child Parliamentarians inn Mashonaland Central in a bid to drive this project. “This is a project that we want to implement in Mash Central, the reason why we are engaging these…

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Women Should Breastfeed At Work- Minister

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By Michael Gwarisa WORKING environments should be conducive enough to allow women to breastfeed during working hours, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa has said. He said this while officially opening the 2017 World Breast Feeding Week in Highfields today (3 August 2017). “When children are breast fed, they get sick less often. Employers benefit from having a more contended and productive workforce due to less employee absenteeism, increased loyalty and less staff turnover. Parental protection and other workplace policies can enable women to combine breastfeeding with paid…

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Lack Of Investment Hampering Breast Feeding Efforts

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New analysis shows an investment of US$4.70 per newborn could generate US$300 billion in economic gains by 2025 GENEVA/NEW YORK, 1 August 2017 – No country in the world fully meets recommended standards for breastfeeding, according to a new report by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Global Breastfeeding Collective, a new initiative to increase global breastfeeding rates. The Global Breastfeeding Scorecard, which evaluated 194 nations, found that only 40 per cent of children younger than six months are breastfed exclusively (given nothing but breast…

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53 000 Benefit from US Nutrition and Sanitation Project

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Staff Reporter NOT less than 53 000 Zimbabwean citizens have benefited from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) driven Community Water Supply, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Natural Resources Management project (C-WASH). The project is being Implemented by Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Zimbabwe and  C-WASH worked with communities to provide sustainable access to clean and safe drinking water sources and improved sanitation facilities. ALSO READ: US government allocates US$150 million towards HIV prevention  Speaking during the celebrations at Sherukuru Secondary School in Mutasa District, USAID/Zimabwe Acting Deputy Mission…

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