Tag: nutrition

Here Is How Instant Noodles and Zap Snacks Could Be Slowly Killing Zimbabwean Children

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa While they may be convenient and easy to prepare for your little ones, flavoured snacks, foods and beverages contain high sugar, salt and or unhealthy fats that can increase the risk of becoming overweight or obese, and of related chronic diseases later in life. Data from the 2024 Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) show that Zimbabwe recorded obesity levels of 5.2% in Infants and Young Children (IYC) owing to consumption of unhealthy foods. According to the study, unhealthy snack food and beverage consumption in Zimbabwe has been…

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Stunting, Wasting and Overweight drops in Zim

Kuda Pembere

ZIMBABWE has been doing relatively well in improving the nutrition for children under five years over the past ten years as it reduced the stunting prevalence to 21.6 percent in 2022 from 31.1 percent in 2012, a joint United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and World Bank report shows. By Kuda Pembere For stunting Zimbabwe is in the high threshold. As for overweight, in 2012, the southern African country had a prevalence of 4.6 percent decreasing it to 2.7 percent in 2022 with a low threshold. The prevalence rate for wasting…

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What kind of year will you be having?

Healthtimes

By Luke Gomes, Cluster Manager, Nestlé east and southern Africa region 2023 is just around the corner. For many people, a new year usually signifies a new beginning. It can be taking the first steps to achieving your dream or maybe setting health goals such as a healthier diet, losing weight, or starting an exercise routine. But are you ready to make the most out of the year? Here’s the truth, many of our new year’s resolutions don’t just happen without a bit of preparation and planning. For nearly everyone,…

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Hunger Forcing TB Patients To Abandon Medications In Rural Communities

Michael Gwarisa

THE growing food insecurity situation could derail the national Tuberculosis (TB) response amidst indications that some TB patients from rural and peri-urban areas are already defaulting on their medications citing some adverse drug reactions after taking the tablets and medications on an empty stomach for a prolonged period. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is currently faced with a food insecurity situation and according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), between 40 percent and 60 percent of the country’s population could be food insecure by September, 2022.This according to…

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The Mazondo/Amanqgina Aphrodisiac Legend Demystified

Michael Gwarisa

THROUGHOUT Zimbabwe, men grow up being told or taught that their sole purpose on this earth besides making money is to make sure that women are satisfied in bed. According to some men, Sex is more important than food, in fact, it’s more important than water. You may fail in other departments in life, but never ever fail when it comes to the bedroom department. By Michael Gwarisa The Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs places Sex at the uttermost level of importance and falls in the same category as food, water,…

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The “Ndiro ya Baba” Phenomenon:…A closer look at the intra household food distribution in Zimbabwe

Healthtimes

TO those who have had a stint with rural life you might have across these phrases, “Musana Wehuku Ndewababa,” loosely translated as “only the father or man of the house is the one who eats the entire Chicken’s back.” In Masvingo it’s called Chiteretere and in some households, women have even been sent packing for wrongly allocating chicken portions. By Dr Tonde Matsungo (PhD, MPhil, BSc) and Dexter Chagwena To consume the entire Chicken’s back, a humongous mountain of Sadza has to complement the meal. The practice whereby the father…

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Zim Has The Best Breastfeeding Trend: Experts

Patricia Mashiri

EXPERTS have commended the country’s breastfeeding trend which is currently amongst the highest in the region  and encouraged mothers to continue breastfeeding even after they would have tested positive for COVID-19. By Patricia Mashiri Speaking to HealthTimes, Mr Dexter Chagwena, a Nutritionist Consultant in the Ministry of Health and Child Care said the breastfeeding trend in Zimbabwe has been good even though there is need to improve on exclusive breastfeeding. Breastfeeding trend in Zimbabwe has been fairly good. We are a breastfeeding country where about between 96-98% of our children…

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Zimbabwe Parliament Receives Equipment For Breastfeeding Room For MPs

Patricia Mashiri

THE Zimbabwe Civil Society Organizations Scaling Up Nutrition (ZICSOSUNA) has handed over equipment for the breastfeeding room being set up inside the Parliament of Zimbabwe building, in a move  that is set to bring convenience to lactating Members of Parliament and other parliament female employees. By Patricia Mashiri The donated stuff includes couch set, refrigerator, carpet and a table. In her acceptance speech, Mabel Chinomona, the President of Senate and Patron of the Women’s Caucus said the donation from ZICOSUNA came at the right time as there has been increasing…

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Do You Know That Inappropriate Advertising & Marketing Of Breast Milk Substitutes Is A Violation Of A Global Public Health CODE Of Conduct

Michael Gwarisa

YOU might have been doing it subconsciously but did you know that promoting and marketing substitutes for breast milks such as infant milk formulas , Cereals, purity and other foods and substances for baby feeding is against a World Health Organisation (WHO)  set Code of conduct for all manufacturers and distributors of breast milk substitutes. By Michael Gwarisa The Code dubbed the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes seeks amongst other things to protect breastfeeding mothers from consuming promotional material which may lead to them abandoning breast feeding…

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Local NGO Sets Up Breastfeeding Room At Parliament

Michael Gwarisa

IN a move that is likely to bring convenience to breastfeeding female legislators and parliament employees as well as boost nutritional needs for babies, the Zimbabwe Civil Society Organisations Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance (ZCSOSUNA) is in the process of finalizing the setting up of a lactation room inside the Zimbabwe Parliament premises. By Michael Gwarisa According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a child should be exclusively breastfed for six months and the first 1000 days of an infant are most crucial in the brain development and general development of…

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