BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Some health centres in rural Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North have run out of Covid-19 vaccines, a situation that is forcing villagers to travel long distances to be vaccinated, a human rights organisation has said.
Heal Zimbabwe on Wednesday said feedback from its community peace clubs (CPCs) showed that wards 1,4,5 and 8 in Tsholotsho North had gone for several days without vaccines.
“Communities who are part of Heal Zimbabwe community peace clubs (CPCs) in Tsholotsho North have expressed concern over the shortage of Covid-19 vaccines at most clinics,” the organisation said in a statement.
“Participants noted that most clinics in wards 4, 8, 1 and 5 have run out of the vaccines and this has seen many people travelling to Tsholotsho centre where the vaccines are readily available.”
One of the ward eight participants said some villagers have not received their first doses, while some are still waiting for their second dose.
” Here in ward 8, most clinics have run out of the vaccines and most of us here are still waiting for the second dose,” the participant said.
” People are being forced to travel long distances to Tsholotsho centre where the vaccines are readily available.”
Heal Zimbabwe said participants also noted that the shortage was caused by a poor road infrastructure in some wards, which made it difficult to transport vaccines.
” More recently Ministry of Health (and Childcare) officials failed to access Ngamo clinic in ward 3 because of the poor road network,” another participant said.
“This delays distribution of vaccines to health centres located in some remote wards.”
The dialogue resolved that there was a need for the CPCs to continue raising awareness about Covid-19 and mobilising community members to get vaccinated.
The virtual meetings by Heal Zimbabwe are part of efforts to empower local communities to help safeguard against human rights abuse and build peaceful communities.
The organisation utilises various strategies to address conflicts in local communities with community dialogue being the main initiative for communities to discuss and collectively identify ways through which they can proffer solutions to problems in their communities.
The platforms also equip communities with relevant information on Covid-19, gender-based violence and human rights.
Such platforms also facilitate local level conversations on pertinent issues affecting communities as well as create socially cohesive communities.