Health & Nutrition

illage Health Workers (VHWs) continue to play a key role in strengthening health systems in Zimbabwe. To build up their capacity to raise awareness on COVID-19 in their communities, Save the Children in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care have been conducting COVID-19 trainings for VHWs in Matobo, Beitbridge, Mbire, Chimanimani and Chipinge districts of Zimbabwe. This is part of COVID-19 prevention, response and mitigation activities under the ECHO funded Safe Multipurpose Assistance to Communities in Crises (SMACC) project being implemented by Save the Children and International Rescue Committee in five districts of Zimbabwe.

“Jab to beat Corona!” Save the Children Country Director, Heather Kerr advises Save the Children staff and members of the public to get vaccinated as a measure of protecting themselves and others from COVID-19. She recently received two jabs of the Sinopharm vaccine at Wilkins hospital in Harare. Read Q & A session with her as she shares her vaccination experience and her thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine.

As the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic, Save the Children is taking COVID-19 awareness and prevention messages to several communities across all its geographical areas of operation. Among these, are communities in Beitbridge, Matobo and Kariba districts of Zimbabwe, where Save the Children has been conducting community outreaches, and making use of loudhailers, distributing posters with COVID-19 messages and having one-on-one interactions with community members.

Save the Children is implementing the Nutrition in Emergencies project in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, across five drought affected districts in Zimbabwe. The project supports 90,150 children under five, pregnant and lactating women through the provision of life-saving nutrition treatment to all children affected by acute malnutrition. The mothers are supported through community level Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-e), promotion of exclusive breastfeeding, mother-led active screening, COVID-19 awareness and prevention, promotion of exclusive breast feeding among other nutrition interventions in the context of the drought and COVID-19 emergency.

The mother of three is seen as a hygiene champion in her village. The coming of the COVID-19 pandemic has expanded Esnati’s roles in her community. She feels obligated to help her community fight the pandemic. Every week, she braves the sizzling sun and long distances to support the community on how they can prevent infection and protect themselves and their families from the novel Coronavirus.