National

Measles kills 80 children as outbreak spreads across Zimbabwe

Published

2 years ago

August 15, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe has been hit by a measles outbreak that has so far killed 80 children as authorities blamed large church gatherings for the spread of the disease.

Health and Child Care ministry’s permanent secretary Jasper Chimedza said Manicaland was hardest hit by the outbreak, which has killed 45 children in the province since April

“The Ministry of Health and Child Care wishes to inform the public that the ongoing outbreak of measles, which was first reported on the 10th of April 2022 in Mutasa district of Manicaland Province has since spread nationwide following church gatherings,” Chimedza said in a statement.

“These gatherings, which were attended by people from different provinces of the country with unknown vaccination status, led to the spread of measles to previously unaffected areas.

“As of the 11th of August 2022, a total of 1036 suspected cases, 125 laboratory confirmed cases and 80 deaths have been reported since the onset of the outbreak resulting in a Case Fatality Rate of 6.9 %.

“Manicaland has constituted the highest number of cases (356) and 45 deaths.”

He said most of the cases were children aged six months to 15 years from religious sects, who were not vaccinated against measles due to religious beliefs.

What is measles?

According to the health ministry, measles is a highly contagious respiratory tract viral infection commonly found in children and is spread through sneezing and coughing as well as by touching or contact with secretions of an infected individual.

The symptoms

“The symptoms start with a cough, fever and then skin rash,” Chimedza said.

“The high fever usually begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus and lasts four to seven days.

“A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage.

“After several days, a rash erupts on the face and spreads to the whole body.

“The public is advised that the risk of developing a severe form of measles or dying from complications of measles is very high among unvaccinated children under 15 years.”

Public health measures

Chimedza said the ministry has mobilised adequate human and financial resources from within the government and partners to curb the further spread of measles and avoid unnecessary deaths, which include health education, laboratory testing and mass vaccination campaign targeting the affected age group.

Treatment of measles

Chimedza said the mainstay of treatment of measles is supportive as the disease is self-limiting.

“However, severe complications from measles can be reduced through supportive care that ensures good nutrition, adequate fluid intake and treatment of dehydration with the World Health Organisation recommended oral rehydration solution,” he said.

“This solution replaces fluids and other essential elements that are lost through diarrhoea or vomiting and antibiotics are prescribed to treat eye and ear infections as well as pneumonia.

“All children diagnosed with measles should receive two doses of vitamin A supplement at the nearest health facility.

“This treatment restores low vitamin A levels during measles that occur in even well-nourished children, and can help prevent damage and blindness all as symptomatic children should receive the measles vaccines as a prevention measure.”

National

Water levels dropping at Kariba dam

Published

5 days ago

November 1, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

1 November 2024

The Zambezi River Authority has issued an update on the water levels at the Kariba lake, revealing a sharp decrease due to low inflow.

The current lake level stands at 476.14m, a significant drop from last year’s level of 478.07m.

The usable live storage volume has also decreased dramatically, from 17.90% in 2023 to just 4.46%.

This translates to a reduction from 11.59 billion cubic meters (BCM) to 2.89 BCM, a worrying trend for power generation and water supply between Zimbabwe and Zambia

National

ZIMTA calls for quarterly salary reviews to address inflation

Published

6 days ago

October 31, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOTHANDO DUBE & NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Educators in Zimbabwe have been crying out for decent salaries for over five years, with their salaries eroded by the high cost of living and harsh economic conditions.

We recently had a one-on-one interview with the ZIMTA president, Akuneni Maphosa, who shared his insights on the issue.

“Allow me to explain briefly about salaries for heads and teachers generally. Our issue is that, in October 2018, teachers were generally getting a US$540 salary. Such that, we put it across to the government that they stole from us, because, with the mix-up that came with the RTGS currency, whereby 1 US dollar was said to be equivalent to 1 RTGS, that is where we lost our value for money.”

Maphosa emphasized that ZIMTA has a research department that tracks the market and determines the minimum salary required for teachers to survive.

“We found out that a teacher must earn US$1 200, but what we wrote to the government, looking at the average figure, considering that we still have not reached US$540 of 2018, we submitted US$840 to National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC), where we negotiate with the government on salaries.”

He highlighted the shortfall in the recent US$40 increment offered by the government.

“When you look at the amount of the US$40, we were given recently, as we know that our salaries have a component of US dollars and Zim dollars, but when we look at it from the US dollar value, our entry grade is US$479, such that there is a shortfall of US$361 for us to get to the US$840, that is for grade D1.”

Maphosa stressed that ZIMTA is pushing for quarterly reviews to reach the desired salary.

“We are saying the government should have quarterly reviews of these salaries.”

He outlined ZIMTA’s three-pronged approach to address the issue: negotiating at NJNC level, pursuing job evaluation, and professionalizing the teaching service.

“We believe that this is the route that will enhance the earnings for the educators in the country.”

Additionally, Maphosa mentioned that ZIMTA is also pushing for the establishment of a Civil Service Bargaining Council, which would allow for collective bargaining and binding agreements with the government.

“We are currently working with the government and Public Service Commission to ensure that this is put in place.”

Maphosa concluded by emphasizing ZIMTA’s commitment to engaging with the government.

National

Enhancing heritage-based curriculum: A call to action for school heads

Published

1 week ago

October 30, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) National Conference for 2024 rounded off with a resounding call to action for school heads to take leadership roles in implementing the Heritage-Based Curriculum.

(MINI DOCUMENTARY ON THE LINK BELOW| New heritage-based curriculum under discussion. 2 700 primary school heads meet in Victoria Falls to discuss implementation. Zimta president calls for decent salaries & policies to support teachers. Minister emphasizes leadership roles in schools)

https://x.com/vic_falls_live/status/1851544275416236323?s=46

Minister of State and Provincial Affairs, Richard Moyo, his speech read on his behalf by provincial coordinating director Tapera Mugoriya, emphasized the importance of this curriculum in promoting a holistic approach to learning, focusing on Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage, history, and values.

“The nation looks upon all heads of schools to take noticeably leadership roles in the implementation of the Heritage-Based Curriculum in schools,” Moyo stressed, addressing a gathering of over 2 700 primary school heads from across the country.

Moyo also highlighted the need for school heads to understand the socio-economic contexts of their communities and how local heritage can be leveraged to enhance learning outcomes.

“Your aptly coined theme, ‘The Role Of The School Head In Enhancing The Heritage Based Curriculum Under The Current Socio– Economic Situation,’ is befitting as it challenges us all not to offer education for its own sake, but to utilize the many years that pupils invest in school to prepare them well for their lives and for the sustenance of communities and the country.”

The Minister also expressed appreciation for NAPH’s efforts in championing curriculum reform and implementation, noting that the Heritage-Based Curriculum subsumes all Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and indicators related to education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Furthermore, Moyo addressed the issue of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), acknowledging concerns raised by school heads.

The delegates

“The Government is already seized with addressing the matter, and indeed those that are meant to benefit from the safety net will definitely do so,” he assured.

Additionally, Moyo highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to pupil welfare, citing the distribution of tonnes of mealie-mealie to all P3, P2, and satellite primary schools nationally to support the Emergency School Feeding Programme.