Zimpapers Logo

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
THE fight against the deadly Covid-19 has been extended to the grassroots level following the training of community volunteers to spread the message and conscientise communities which now account for a majority of new cases and deaths.

After the outbreak of Covid-19 which has killed 255 Zimbabweans, Government set up a national taskforce which has been essential in spreading health messages.

With funding from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Ministry of Health and Child Care trained 800 volunteers to create a link between the communities and the local health rapid response teams for effective Covid-19 surveillance, testing and reporting.

Zimbabwe recorded 57 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday with Matabeleland South contributing 24 cases.

Bulawayo recorded 15, Masvingo 10, Matabeleland North 5, with Midlands, Mashonaland East and West recording a single case each.

Of the new Covid-19 cases, 33 were local cases while 24 are returning residents from South Africa.

Cumulatively, the country has recorded 8 667 Covid 19 cases, 8 046 recoveries and 255 deaths.

Chronicle caught up with some volunteers from the Matabeleland region who were training in Bulawayo yesterday and they confirmed that communities were in need of constant reminders to keep them on track.

They bemoaned the prevalence of Covid-19 fatigue which has seen many people exposé themselves to danger by not wearing masks and not practicing social distancing.

Ms Nokuthula Sibanda from Filabusi said the training had been useful in breaking down some technical information on Covid-19 which community members will gladly apply.

“I am grateful for the chance to know more about Covid-19 and be in a position to break it down to fellow villagers who do not quite understand why they should practice social distancing. We have been given simplified information on how to prevent Covid-19 from spreading and I know that I will be able to also share the knowledge and the skills acquired,” said Ms Sibanda.

Ms Sibanda said the training programme also clarified why health experts recommend the washing of hands to stop the spread of the virus.

“We had demonstrations on how to thoroughly wash hands with soap or with hand sanitizers and that for me was an eye opener. I will surely go and teach my family and villagers how to wash hands for one minute while explaining the importance,” she added.

Mr Fleman Ndlovu from Bubi Ward 7, who is a traditional healer, said it was also important to incorporate culture even in the fight against a global pandemic.

“We have in the past relied on traditional medicine to prevent or treat some of the deadliest diseases hence we appreciate that the Ministry saw it fit to involve us in this project. Many people still rely on traditional medicine and as an opinion leader I will gladly relay these messages to some people who come for consultation,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He added that in the past, there were traditional medicines like inkunzane, umsuzwane and intelezi that can still be used to ensure hygiene is practised.

“We are grateful for these teachings which are an addition to what we have used to prevent the transmission of Covid-19. I am a leader of various healers in my community and I will ensure that they also benefit from this knowledge that I have gathered here.”

The director for Disease Control and Epidemiology in the health ministry, Dr Portia Manangazira, who is one of the programme facilitators, said it was important to engage the communities and their traditional leaders in the fight against Covid-19.

She added that traditional medicine still plays an important role in meeting basic health care needs of local communities with about 80 percent of Zimbabweans using it for various reasons.

Traditional medicine, she said, remains the most affordable and easily accessible source of therapeutic treatment in the primary healthcare system for members of the public.

“As the country nudges forward in its effort to combat Covid-19, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has decided to rope in volunteer community health workers in order to disseminate health education down to villages. So, after this training, they go back to their communities and work from these communities, but they report on a weekly basis to us at national level,” said Dr Manangazira.

“As we anticipate a second wave of Covid-19, we decided to also engage traditional and religious leaders because we are aware they play a crucial role in shaping public opinions. Now that they are trained, we are hopeful that health messages will spread faster and we know that once these opinion leaders are seen in the forefront fighting Covid-19, the battle will be easier to win.”

Dr Manangazira said she was confident the country was doing well in handling the rebound of the viral disease given reports of a second wave of Covid-19 being experienced in other countries.-@thamamoe