By Method Moyo Tariro and Blessing (pseudonyms) have been married for over twenty years. From the outside, they appear settled with two grown children, a modest home in Kwekwe, and years of shared memories. However, inside their quiet house, a storm brews. As the Shona proverb says, “Chakafukidza dzimba matenga.” Tariro, now 47, feels invisible.
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has raised alarm over a disturbing rise in violent killings linked to individuals with mental health challenges, after two separate incidents in Karoi and Bulilima claimed the lives of at least eight people within a week. The latest incident occurred in Makoni Village, Tengwe, Karoi, on August
Read MoreWe’ve recently started to talk more about burnout, yet it remains a hidden health problem. That’s because people experiencing burnout often feel ashamed to speak about it. I know this firsthand, as I felt that same shame, in my professional life before becoming a psychologist. I suffered from burnout while working as a media entrepreneur
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa Have you ever wondered why a grown man, well-respected in his community, perhaps even holding a doctorate, would roll in the mud and eat grass at the instruction of a self-proclaimed prophet who never finished school? The answer often lies in the psychological forces at play — mental health issues that empower
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa A 10-day Mental Health Leadership Program has kicked off in Harare, Zimbabwe, amid growing calls for governments to prioritize mental health as a public health emergency, HealthTimes has learned. The training program, aimed at equipping leaders from various sectors with the necessary skills and capacity to address the growing burden of mental
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has received drug testing equipment worth US$60,000 from the Abused Substances and Diagnostics Management (ASDM) project in an effort to curb drug- and alcohol-induced road traffic accidents. The equipment will be deployed nationwide to screen public transport drivers for intoxication. Zimbabwe has one of the highest road traffic accident rates in
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa The prevalence of mental health disorders, particularly depression, among women who experience Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Zimbabwe is estimated to be around 77%. According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, nearly 40% of women and girls in Zimbabwe experience physical violence in their lifetime, while 12% of women aged 15-49
Read MoreBy Kuda Pembere, recently in Gweru Persons Who Use and Inject Drugs (PWUID) have urged the government to expedite the establishment of public rehabilitation centres, citing unaffordable costs at private facilities. Currently, there are no state-owned rehab centres, but the government claims to have identified suitable locations across all provinces for future facilities. During a
Read MoreBy Michael Gwaris Contrary to the common belief that drug and substance abuse primarily affects unemployed youth and adolescents, recent data reveals that Zimbabwe’s working class faces a similarly high incidence of substance use. According to national data, males represent the majority of mental health cases linked to drug and substance use, underscoring the severe
Read MoreBy Kuda Pembere Taking the fight against a disturbing trend of drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe were Chadcombe and Msasa Park residents who held a campaign against this scourge in partnership with Faith Ministries International Chadcombe, alongside Population Solutions for Health (PSH), the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN). Gogo Rwasunda a resident
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