By Kuda Pembere
The Zimbabwe Community Health Intervention Research Project (ZICHIRE) took its campaign against drug and substance abuse, as well as teenage pregnancies, to Epworth last Friday.
Amid growing concerns over these social ills across the country, ZICHIRE noted that men often avoid visiting health facilities. In response, the organization conducted an integrated outreach at Solani Shopping Centre in Epworth to bridge this gap.
Speaking to HealthTimes during the outreach, Samantha Mugudubi, ZICHIRE’s Programs Officer for Epworth, explained that they were targeting men—who typically shun health facilities—with various health services.
We are at Solani Shopping Centre conducting an outreach because, as you know, many people, especially men, are reluctant to visit clinics. So, we brought the services directly to the community,” she said. “These include HIV testing, counseling for people who use and inject drugs, STI screening, condom demonstrations and distribution, as well as hypertension screening, among others.”
While Mugudubi did not have precise figures, she expressed concern over the rising rates of teenage pregnancies and drug abuse in Epworth.
“In Epworth, teen pregnancies are on the rise. They are increasing each and every quarter, although I don’t have the exact statistics,” she said. “There is also sex work involving girls as young as nine. If you go to places like Booster, they’re selling sex for as little as one dollar, sometimes even two rounds for a dollar. HIV transmission is increasing here in Epworth.”
She added, “Drug and substance abuse is also rampant. You can walk around and easily come across 10 to 15 people who are visibly high. It’s a serious issue, especially considering the high population here and the fact that many are unemployed. With little to do, they resort to drug use.”
The outreach is part of ZICHIRE’s ongoing work under the Brother to Brother program, which is supported by the National AIDS Council.
“We are implementing the Brother to Brother project, targeting adolescent boys and young men aged 10 to 24. Most programs in Zimbabwe focus on girls and young women, leaving boys behind,” said Mugudubi.
“With support from the National AIDS Council, we mentor these boys into responsible men who do not abuse their partners, and we equip them with sexual and reproductive health information so they can make informed decisions. As they grow, boys face a lot of pressure—many end up engaging in unprotected sex or using drugs and other substances.”
She added that ZICHIRE is actively working to build resilience in young men against substance abuse.
“Here in Epworth, we are working with 10 mentors, each of whom is responsible for 50 mentees, giving us a total caseload of 500 young men under the Brother to Brother program.”
An Epworth resident and child care worker expressed alarm at the worsening crisis among young people.
