ICPD | HealthTimes

All Set For Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference

July 15, 2024July 17, 2024 Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa An estimated 250 delegates are set to grace the fifth edition of the Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference (SARSYC) that will run from July 17-19, 2024 in Gaborone, Botswana. The conference will attract speakers from diverse young people groups as well as experienced public health experts, development partners and government officials. In an interview with HealthTimes ahead of the conference, Jimmy Wilford, the Conference Convener and SAYWAHT Executive Director said it was all systems go the annual conference. We are prepared, we have a dedicated…

Government of Zimbabwe, UNFPA and partners call for greater investment to accelerate progress on the population and development agenda

April 24, 2024 Michael Gwarisa

By Health Reporter At a High Level Meeting to track progress on implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD PoA), and in light of findings from a global report, the Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners today called for greater investment to accelerate progress on the population and development agenda. The year 2024 is a milestone year for the global community as it marks the 30th anniversary of the ICPD. The ICPD conference, held in Cairo in September 1994,…

20th International Inter-Ministerial Conference on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Population and Development Kicks Off In Victoria Falls

October 9, 2023October 9, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

The 20th International Inter-Ministerial Conference on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Population and Development commenced today in the resort town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa Officiating at the event, Zimbabwe’s President Emerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was making progress towards meeting commitments made at the ICPD 25 in Nairobi Kenya. It is notable that females have a higher life expectancy compared to their male counterparts, while life expectancy has risen to 65 years. Zimbabwe’s national Maternal Mortality Ratio is on a decreasing trend, from 651 per 100 000 live…

SOWP Report Findings a Wake-Up Call for Zim Government to Respect Women’s Bodily Autonomy

July 27, 2023July 27, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

GOVERNMENT should allow women the power to make decisions regarding their own Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), a top Zimbabwe Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprises official has said. By Michael Gwarisa This was revealed during the launch of the 2023 State of the World Population Report (SWOP) in the Capital Harare. The report was conducted by the United National Population Fund (UNFPA) and revealed that while the world population has reached the 8 billion mark, more women and girls were still lagging in terms of access…

As ICPD30 Beckons, Here Is How Zimbabwe Has Fared In Fulfilling Nairobi Summit Commitments

July 26, 2023July 26, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

IN 2019, Zimbabwe joined the world in Nairobi, Kenya for the 25th International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (ICPD25). The week-long event aimed to strengthen partnerships and harness re-commitments in the continued empowerment of women, and young people and ensuring access to sexual reproductive health (SRH) services. By Michael Gwarisa Next year, 2024, the ICPD will mark 30 years since the ICPD Programme of Action was adopted in 1994 by 179 Member States in Cairo Egypt. The ICPD, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),…

Unpacking Zimbabwe’s post abortion care responsibility and gaps

January 30, 2023November 28, 2023 Memory Kadau

By Memory Pamela Kadau Across the world, abortion related complications constitute part of the major reasons women seek emergency obstetric care. According to the Post Abortion Care Consortium, Post abortion care (PAC) consists of emergency treatment for complications related to spontaneous or induced abortions. It also includes family planning and birth spacing counseling, and provision of family planning methods for the prevention of further mistimed or unplanned pregnancies that may result in repeat induced abortions. Comprehensive PAC also includes services such as medical assessment for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.…

Teen Pregnancies and Early Marriages Rear Ugly Head in Zim’s Farming Communities

November 17, 2021October 10, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

IT’S a normal day inside Sable Ranch, a farming community at least 6 kilometers outside Marondera town in Mashonaland East province. Since its tobacco planting season, majority of labourers have been sent on a two-week long leave to give the tobacco plant enough time to grow. Just like their parents, school children at Ranch Farm and other surrounding farming communities are attending school just twice every week to adhere to government set COVID-19 prevention protocols. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Marondera, Mashonaland East While the adults have capitalized on the…

Two Years After Nairobi Summit, High-Level Commission calls for urgent, ambitious action to end alarming disparities in sexual and reproductive justice

November 16, 2021 Michael Gwarisa

Two years on from the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 — where governments, civil society and the private sector came together voluntarily to recommit to realizing the promises of the landmark 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo — the High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 Follow-up has launched its first report. Own Correspondent The Commission, an independent advisory body of eminent leaders from around the world was formed to track progress on the 12 commitments in the Nairobi Statement. In its report, “No Exceptions. No…

Contraceptive Prevalence Still Depressed In Young People -ZNFPC

October 1, 2021 Michael Gwarisa

EVEN though all indicators in Zimbabwe’s national family planning program have done well over the years, teenage pregnancies, early child marriages, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and new HIV infections have been on an upward trend in young people due to lack of access to contraceptives and other preventive methods. By Michael Gwarisa Currently, the Zimbabwe Public Health Act does not permit young adolescents to access or purchase contraceptives, medications and other health services in the absence of an adult thus making it difficult for young people below the age of…

Zim ICPD Task-force Keeps Watchful Eye On Commitments Implementation

June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 Michael Gwarisa

THE Zimbabwe National Taskforce (NTF) for monitoring commitments the country made at the 25th International Conference on Population Development (ICPD), has hit the ground running in ensuring the pledges Zimbabwe made at the Nairobi summit in 2019 are fulfilled. By Michael Gwarisa The taskforce was set up in November 2020 and it comprises of government ministries and departments, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Academia, United Nations Agencies operating in Zimbabwe and other organizations and stakeholders. The Ministries of Finance and that of health and Child Care are co-chairs to the taskforce.…