Category: REPRODUCTIVE

Relationships : The Family (Part 1)

Healthtimes

Relationships are the way which two or more people are connected. Young people are in many relationships. The relationships that young people have include family, friendships, dating and courtship. By Fadzayi Maposah Family is where young people start interaction with other people. Families come in various forms: the nuclear family made up of both parents, single parent families, child headed families and the extended family. These days the family is under a lot of reconstruction with many demands, strains and pressures upon it. The family, peers and the society play…

Read More

Realign Policies To End Child Marriages In Zim

Healthtimes

EKENIA Chifamba, Director Shamwari yeMwanasikana a Non-Government Organization that provides support for and supports the empowerment and emancipation of the girl child in Zimbabwe has called on policy makers to bridge the gap between the constitution of Zimbabwe and  the criminal law and codification and reform act so as to protect the girl child. By Patricia Mashiri The constitution of Zimbabwe criminalizes marriage of a girl that is below the age of 18 whilst clashing with section 70 of the Criminal law and codification and reform act which says a…

Read More

Building Self Esteem As A young Person

Healthtimes

IT is not easy being a young person in this day and age. Young people face many challenges growing up. At times they are treated like children and at times they are treated like adults so long as the person who is dealing with them stands to benefit. By Fadzayi Maposah One issue that affects young people today is the issue of self -esteem especially low self- esteem. Self- esteem is the value that we put on ourselves, it includes the way we think, the way we perceive, feel and…

Read More

Shamwari yeMwanasikana Challenges Death Of a 14year old Who Died Giving Birth At Madzibaba’s Shrine

Healthtimes

Shamwari yeMwanasikana, a Non- Governmental Organization that advocates for  the empowerment and emancipation of the girl child in Zimbabwe has challenged the death of a 14 year old in the hands of an apostolic sect member after denying her hospital assistance. Staff Reporter In a press statement Shamwari yeMwanasikana indicated the 14 year old girl died during labour in the hands of a madzibaba infringing section 76 of the constitution which advocates for the right to health access. It is infuriating that the young girl met her untimely death in…

Read More

UNFPA Calls For Greater Investment In The Provision Of SRH and GBV Services For Women And Young People In The Context On COVID-19

Healthtimes

THE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called for continued investment in the provision of Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) services for women and young people in the context of COVID-19 that has caused serious gaps and challenges in the provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services. HealthTimes Reporter  Additionally, the reallocation of resources away from these services towards Covid19 response may affect the health of many women and girls. In her World Population Day message, UNFPA Executive Director, Dr Natalia Kanem said, “COVID-19…

Read More

Open Up Space For Adolescents To Access SRHR Services

Healthtimes

RECENTLY, I was saddened to read that a dead infant was found during a burst sewer pipe at a primary school in Bulawayo. I imagined the state of hopelessness the parent must have felt to resort to infanticide. And I felt angry about the lack of prioritization of women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), especially during this time of COVID-19 lockdowns, that may have contributed to this horrific outcome. By Edinah Masiyiwa The insufficient attention to women’s and girls’ needs and disruptions in health systems during…

Read More

Zim ICPD Task-force Keeps Watchful Eye On Commitments Implementation

Michael Gwarisa

THE Zimbabwe National Taskforce (NTF) for monitoring commitments the country made at the 25th International Conference on Population Development (ICPD), has hit the ground running in ensuring the pledges Zimbabwe made at the Nairobi summit in 2019 are fulfilled. By Michael Gwarisa The taskforce was set up in November 2020 and it comprises of government ministries and departments, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Academia, United Nations Agencies operating in Zimbabwe and other organizations and stakeholders. The Ministries of Finance and that of health and Child Care are co-chairs to the taskforce.…

Read More

#JUSTIN: Age Of Consent Petition Scores Partial Victory

Michael Gwarisa

THE Parliamentary portfolio committee on Health and the Thematic Committee on HIV and AIDS have recommended that the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) should amend Section 35 of the current Public Health Act of 2018 which limits the age to accessing Reproductive Health Care Services to 16 years. By Michael Gwarisa This development follows a petition that was delivered to Parliament in 2020 by the Advocacy Core Team (ACT) in September, 2020 where they sought to have age restrictions on consent to accessing reproductive health care services by…

Read More

10 Year Olds Booking At Maternity Units In Marondera…As Early Pregnancies Spike

Michael Gwarisa

GIRLS between the ages 10 to 24, have been make a sizable number of antenatal or pregnancy bookings that were recorded at Nyameni and Dombotombo Clinics in Marondera District during the first quarter of the year 2021. By Michael Gwarisa Majority of the cases were coming from farming communities surrounding Marondera while some were being recorded within Marondera urban settings according to data that was shared by the Marondera Municipality at an Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) meeting in Marondera recently. 152 Antenatal Clinic (ANC) bookings were recorded for…

Read More

Teen Pregnancies Stalk Zimbabwe- Gvt

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE recorded a spike in teenage pregnancies in the first quarter of 2021 at the back rampart sexual abuse amongst a host of other factors leading to an increase in school dropouts. By Patricia Mashiri Speaking during a multi-sectorial dialogue for collective action on adolescent pregnancies, Ministry of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, Social Development Officer Child Protection Department, Patience Rupende said there was need to address the growing scourge of teen pregnancies and save the future of the girl child. Teenage pregnancies are a result of child protection…

Read More