Health workers playing vital role in Manicaland
Zimunya clinic in Manicaland province in has introduced a programme to address malnutrition and improve child nutrition in vulnerable communities.
The clinic is working in collaboration with Unicef, with funding support from the Health Resilience Fund, comprising the UK government, Irish AID, Gavi and the European Union.
The programme provides training and capacity building on the identification and treatment of malnutrition in children.
Regina Chidziya 32, a community health worker in Zimunya,supported by the programme, has on several occasions this year come across poverty-stricken families.
“This time around, it is poverty that has resulted in excessive malnutrition mostly caused by the current drought. Most families are facing hunger and are failing to provide what we recommend for their children,” Chidziya said.
“My duty is to provide training and help mothers to identify the early signs of malnutrition at home.”
Chidziya identified the children suffering from malnutrition and initiated their treatment.
“We are now calling on the government and various partners to come in and provide a long-lasting solution on malnutrition because there are many children being affected.”
Health and Child Care ministry Mutare district nutritionist Bridget Buzuzi said there were programmes underway to curb malnutrition.
“The ministry and it’s partners are currently undertaking preventive measures to address malnutrition ” Buzuzi said.
Unicef Zimbabwe specialist Yves Willemot said the programme provided training and capacity building on the identification and treatment of malnutrition in children.
“Zimbabwe is going through a severe drought and children are mostly affected.” he said.
“As such,the government and various community health workers must be participants in integrating the prevention initiatives. As Unicef,there is need to focus more on nutrition for children to reduce malnutrition.”
Unicef in partnership with the government is scaling up nutritional programmes at community level by involving community health workers and mothers in disseminating information on a nutritious diet for children.
