The Sunday Mail
Lincoln Towindo in Esigodini
The incidence of child marriages is on the rise, resulting in an increasing number of young females experiencing labour complications that are overwhelming Zimbabwe’s health delivery system, First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa has warned.
Addressing delegates at zanu-pf 17th National People’s Conference here yesterday, the First Lady said many girls in involuntary marriages were developing fistula, a condition that results from tear of tissue around the female organ.
Amai Mnangagwa is Goodwill Ambassador for the Health and Child Care Ministry, and carries out philanthropic work targeting young women and vulnerable groups. Yesterday she said girls forced into child marriages failed to fulfil their inherent potential.
“Pamusoro paizvozvo tinedambudziko sana mai vose kuti vana vedu — madzimambo kana vachiripo — varikuroodzwa vachiri pasi pemakore. Izvozvo zvinozoita kuti mwana abare mumwe mwana,” she said.
“Kana takuzvitarisa kuMinistry of Health, zvirikuonekwa kuti zvirikuunza rimwe dambudziko rechimwe chirwere chinonzi fistula; hachisi hacho chirwere asi mwana anobvaruka patime yaanobatsirwa.
“Dambudziko iroro ririkukura zvakanyanya kuMinistry of Health.
“Vanababa varimuno ndinokumbirisa musatiroodzera vana vachiri vadiki.
“Ndirikukumbira zvikuru nokuti vatambudzika nenyaya iyoyo.
“Zvinoderedzera nyika pasi, uye mauraya future yemwana nekuti kana asisaende kuchikoro hapana chatichatarisira kuhurumende, naiye pachake nemi vabereki hapana chamuchawana nekuti mwana akungombeya.”
Amai Mnangagwa runs the Angel of Hope Foundation, an organisation at the forefront of the fight against cancer, and yesterday she urged early screening of the disease.
“Chirwere checancer is a silent killer. Tirikubatwa nechirwere checancer mazuvano tisingazive. Unongomuka uchinzwa muviri wako usingaite mushe wonzi haa nhasi better.
“Hazvisi zvekunzwa shoko rekuti nhasi zviri better, enda unotariswa nekuti tinacho chirwere chegomarara mumazamu edu, nemuchibereko. Ichocho chirwere hachina sign.
“Madzimai bhazi ririko nematende akawanda andakakumbira Ministry of Health vandinoshanda navo kuti vandibetsere. Vaita matende akawanda kuti mukana uyu muushandise.
“Nokuti chikakurumidza kuzivikanwa, chirwere chacho chinogadzirika, chinorapika.”
The First Lady called on men to get screened for prostate cancer.
“Imwe yandinayo, kune nyaya zvekare inonzi ye prostate cancer kunana baba. Haisi nyaya yamadzimai chete, cancer yacho irikwese; vanababa ndinokukurudzirai zvakare kuti munotariswa.
“Kune nyaya ye HIV and Aids; variko panze apo vakomana nevasikana veMinistry of Health — hazvityise, hazvinyadzise. Zvakanaka sei kuti uzive kuti wakamira sei nokuti mumusangano wezanu-pf tichiri kukuda; tinebasa rakawanda rekuita.”
The First Lady advised that good hygiene was the best way of tackling diarrhoeal diseases.
“Ndinoda kutaura zvakare nenyaya yehutsanana kumadzimai pamisha. Hutsanana chinhu chakakosha.
“Munyika medu tanetswa nenyaya yecholera. Cholera inouya nenyaya yekugara munharaunda yedu pasina kuita zvakanaka.
“Mvura irikunetsa asi kana yawanikwa ngatifashaidzei kana kuisa mapiritsi mumvura imomo; zvatinobika zvive zvakachena, zvive zvakaibva. Kana tapedza, tosuka midziyo, asi chikafu chichidyiwa chichipisa.
“Madzimai tisu tinochengeta misha, ngationei kuti vana baba vakageza here; vasapfeke shirt imwe chete mazuva matatu isina kugezwa.”
