By 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
Read MoreBy Abigail T.S. Mudokwani The World Health Organisation (WHO), estimates that depression and anxiety cause twelve billion lost working days annually, and that the diminished productivity caused by these two mental health issues alone costs the world economy $1 trillion (USD) annually. As a result, there is an increasing need for creating psychologically safe work
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa Every morning, Felistas Makombe (32), from Ruwa has to wake up early and leave for work around 5:00 Am. She works as a cleaner in one of the leading cleaning companies in Zimbabwe. She has to take the earliest bus into town to ensure she gets to work on time and starts
Read MoreBy Kuda Pembere Population Solutions for Health (PSH) today joined the world in commemorating the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. At an event held at the Embassy of Sweden in Harare, youngsters from high school and some universities alongside other youths were commended for opening up on drug and substance abuse which
Read MoreBy Chaplain Simbarashe Chenjerai The world is facing a plethora of challenges such wars, famines, unemployment, droughts, cyclones among other ills. This has resulted in a number of public health challenges including mental health related woes. Over the years, there has been an increase in the incidence of drug and substance abuse, depression, anxiety among
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa In a bid to capacitate members of Parliament with information and share the latest data and trends regarding the scourge of drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe, SAFAIDS recently held a one-day capacity-building workshop with members from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health. While traditional methods of administering drugs and substances such
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