Tag: adolescents

Save The Children, IOM, FST In Partnership to Boost Uptake of SRHR and HIV Services In Zimbabwe’s Migration Corridors

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A tripartite partnership that includes the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Save the Children and Family Support Trust (FST), has been formed in a bid to promote the uptake of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV services as well as reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of young people, migrants and individuals living in migration-affected communities. The initiative dubbed SRHR –HIV Knows No Boarders (KNB) project is being implemented in Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge district. The project will run from 2024 to 2026 and is set to reach…

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The Burden of Unsafe Abortions among Adolescent Girls

Dr Munyaradzi Murwirwa

By Dr Munyaradzi Murwira Introduction Adolescents are a diverse group; their sexual and reproductive health needs and ability to meet those needs vary based on their life circumstances, including marital status and urban or rural residence. Adolescents often face a multitude of challenges in obtaining sexual and reproductive health services, including social stigma, judgmental attitudes of community, health care providers, financial constraints and lack of information. Key sexual reproductive health issues affecting youths include among others, STIs/HIV & AIDS, teenage pregnancies, unintended pregnancies, drug and substance abuse, and sexual gender…

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Unicef launches campaign targeting adolescents

Kuda Pembere

UNICEF Zimbabwe has launched a three month communication campaign to address the needs and challenges faced by adolescents in Zimbabwe. By Kuda Pembere Themed “Nothing for us without us”, the communication campaign will be running from this month to December. It comes at a time when the country is seized with containing high teenage pregnancies and child marriages as well as the incidence of HIV amongst adolescents. UNICEF Zimbabwe country representative Dr Tajudeen Oyewale said it was important for adults to listen to children, adolescents and young people. “For the…

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Over 69,000 Zimbabwean Girls Aged 10 to 19 Gave Birth In 2022

Michael Gwarisa
Young Preganant Women

DESPITE continued efforts to reduce early pregnancies  in Zimbabwe, data shows that adolescent girls between 10 and 15 years are falling pregnant and giving birth largely due to harmful practices that include early child marriages and sexual abuse. By Michael Gwarisa Disaggregated data on the Distribution of Births by Age of Mother released during the launch of the  Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (Zimstat) Vital Statistics Report shows that 696 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth in 2022. A total of 69,335 adolescent females aged 10 to 19 had live births…

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POTRAZ Advises Zim To Use SMS And Voice Network For Health Communication Interventions… Says majority of Zimbabweans still using generic phones

Michael Gwarisa

The Mobile Revolution is here and Zimbabwe just like many other countries in the world has progressed in ensuring access to mobile phone services is affordable by anyone regardless of economic background. In Zimbabwe, even horses have cell-phones and there are probably more mobile phones than there are toothbrushes in the world. By Michael Gwarisa The mobile phone is accessible in even the most remote areas of the world where often times access to clean water, medical personnel or health facilities do not exist. Mobile phone technology has a growing…

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Shamwari yeMwanasikana Responds To Health Minister’s Remarks On Access To SRH Services

Healthtimes

Shamwari yeMwanasikana, a Non- Governmental Organization that provides support for and supports the empowerment and emancipation of the girl child in Zimbabwe has vowed to continue fighting for adolescents and girls to access  Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Services (SRHS) without any restrictions. By Staff Reporter The development comes at the back of media reports that the ministry of health had shot down a request by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and the Thematic Committee on HIV and AIDS to have Section 35 of the country’s Public Health Act amended…

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Tanaka Adolescent Clinic, a huge milestone towards attaining SRHR equality

Patricia Mashiri

ACCESS to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) has been one of the topical issues raised on various platforms. Most Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe have been at forefront of advocating for equal access to SRHR as well as removing the age barriers to accessing services. By Patricia Mashiri recently in Rushinga Many young people from marginalised communities struggle to access SRHR services owing to a myriad of factors chief among them being the absence of youth friendly health facilities which offer young people centred services. As a result,…

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Close Service Gaps To End HIV/AIDS Among Children and Adolescents: UNAIDS

Healthtimes

A new report released by UNAIDS today at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Mexico City, Mexico, shows that the world is lagging behind in its commitment to end the AIDS epidemic among children and adolescents. By Kudakwashe Pembere According to the report titled Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free the pace of progress in reducing new HIV infections among children and expanding access to treatment for children, adolescents and pregnant women living with HIV has slowed significantly. Further, global targets set for 2018 have been missed, despite…

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High HIV Incidence Among Female Youths

Healthtimes

THERE is need to have programs targeting young women aged between 19 and 34 years particularly those at educational tertiary institutions to lower HIV Incidence rates in Zimbabwe. By Kudakwashe Pembere This emerged during an International Aids Society Harare Scientific Symposium which brought HIV experts from across the SADC region. AIDS and TB Director Dr Owen Mgurungi bemoaned the high incidence of HIV among young adolescent females. “The incidence is below point nine percent but its not homogenous. There are areas where we have high incidence. There are areas where…

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Sweden Avails US$6 million for SRHR and GBV Fight

NewsRoom

The Swedish Government through its Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency has availed US$6 million to a project aimed at promoting access to inclusive sexual reproductive health and gender based violence information and services in Zimbabwe. By Kudakwashe Pembere The three year project running from October 2018 to September 2021 will be implemented by Plan International and its partners namely Childline, JF Kapnek Trust and Troicare. “As a Ministry, we are particularly excited by the prospects of this project to contribute to the achievement of the goals set out in the…

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