UNICEF – NEWSSPACE

Water scarcity leads to school dropouts, child exploitation

**a boy fetches water-pic by John Mokwetsi**

BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA

While water scarcity is felt in many spheres of life, the effect it has on children can never be underestimated.

With the country currently battling effects of the El Nino-induced drought, many children find themselves also bearing the brunt of this phenomenon.

And to combat these effects, there is need for more investment in water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH).

The call was made by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Zimbabwe in a statement released on Wednesday.

“It (water scarcity) can also lead to school dropouts and child labour and increases the risk of child exploitation and abuse as children are mobilised to fetch water from far away distances, in insecure circumstances as water is sometimes collected late in the evening or early morning.”

It was added that WASH services are also “key to ensuring children’s rights to health, nutrition, education and protection.”

The statement further read that the El Nino-induced drought has jeopardized access to safe water for many Zimbabwean people.

“Because of the drought, nearly four per cent of the boreholes in the rural areas in Zimbabwe have dried up, particularly in Matabeleland South and Masvingo Provinces.

“The situation is worsening. Broken boreholes rose to more than 6,000 by August 2024.

“Access to safe water is also worrying in urban settings, including in Harare and Bulawayo, where water production is insufficient to cover the needs.

“Water scarcity increases the risk of waterborne diseases and malnutrition among children.”

It added: “access to safe water remains a challenge for communities in Zimbabwe.

“Only 81 per cent of rural people have access to improved water sources (data 2024 – ZIMLAC).

“About half of the households have access to safe water less than 500 meters from home.”

The Government and partners were called to prioritise investment in WASH so as to build resilience at the community level.

It was also revealed that the El Nino-induced drought is a reminder of the critical nature of ensuring sustained access to WASH services to prevent and respond to climate change shocks like droughts.

“Our response cannot be limited to providing food assistance. By ensuring sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, we contribute to ensuring the protection of children’s rights, including the right to health, nutrition, education, and protection.

“By providing access to safe water in communities, we build their resilience to cope with climate change-related shocks like the El Nino-induced drought and prevent child malnutrition, morbidity and mortality.

“With water we contribute to a sustainable future at the community level,” added the statement.

And to respond to the water scarcity households are facing, it was revealed that UNICEF as co-sector lead on water, sanitation and hygiene with the Government, works with its partners to enhance safe water supply to communities, health facilities, and schools facing water insecurity through the rehabilitation of existing water systems and construction of new water systems, including climate-resilient multi-purpose solar-powered piped water systems that enable safe drinking, domestic, livestock, and garden water.

“Increasing water storage capacity at the community and institutional level.

“Promoting safe hygiene and sanitation practices and water conservation through established community health and hygiene mechanisms and mass media.”  

Only 42% of Zim infants are exclusively breastfed in the first 6 months

**A mother breastfeeding her child-pic by UNICEF**

BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA

Only 42 percent of infants in Zimbabwe are breastfed exclusively in the first six months of life, a statement issued by WHO, UNICEF and Ministry of Health and Child Care, has revealed.

The statement was issued as part of commemorations of the World Breastfeeding Week which started on August 1 and comes to an end this Wednesday (August 7).

The statement further revealed that Zimbabwe’s figure falls short of the Sustainable Development Goal target of at least 70 per cent by 2030.

It was also revealed that globally, only 44 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life.

“Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and optimal early childhood development.

“It provides babies with their first immunisation and all the nutrients required for optimal brain development and growth.

“However, many mothers and infants lack the necessary support to start and continue breastfeeding successfully,” read the statement.

It further revealed that “Zimbabwe has active structures and policies to promote optimal infant and young child feeding. “Nevertheless, many Zimbabwean infants and young children are not breastfed. The 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report indicates that only two-thirds (59 per cent) of children are breastfed within the first hour after birth.

“Only 42 per cent of children 0 to 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed.

“Although more than 80 per cent of children continue to be breastfed at one year, many children stop being breastfed before they reach the recommended 24 months.

“The proportion of children 0 to 23 months of age who are fed using bottles is increasing by 23.7 per cent, a more than 10 per cent increase over the past five years.

“This increase in the use of bottles threatens not only breastfeeding’s natural processes but also the environment.”

It was further revealed that over the past years, the country had witnessed increased aggressive promotional activities by manufacturers of breast milk substitutes through health workers and the promotion of specific products covered under the Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, including formula milk and follow-on milk marketed as ‘supplementary’ to breastfeeding.

“Marketing influences social norms by making formula use seem extensive, modern, and comparable to or better than breast milk.

“To address this, comprehensive breastfeeding support must be available to all mothers, regardless of their circumstances.

“This includes paid maternity leave, access to unbiased and medically sound information on infants’ first foods, and working environments that allow mothers to breastfeed.

“Young, working mothers with disabilities, as well as those living in poverty, with HIV and in emergencies, all require tailored information, counselling, and practical assistance to breastfeed,” further read the statement.

It was also revealed that the government with support from UNICEF, recently reviewed the National Infant Nutrition Regulations: SI-46 of 1998 to update national guidance in line with the latest World Health Assembly principles and address the growing influence of digital media as a source of information and a platform for aggressive marketing and advertising.

“There needs to be more than the health sector to yield the desired outcomes for supporting and promoting breastfeeding. “Hence, the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF and the World Health Organization call for action for a whole-of-society multi-sectoral approach to support breastfeeding in the Country, which includes (1) legislation: ratification by Zimbabwe of the updated Statutory Instrument 46 on the Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes; (2) health systems: strengthen the protection and promotion of breastfeeding through the health delivery system with an emphasis on the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative; (3) advocacy and communication: implement a well-coordinated national social and behaviour change strategy including through breastfeeding campaigns; (4) monitoring and reporting: enforcement of regulations, monitoring of violations and marketing activities; (5) breastfeeding interventions: promotion of workplace breastfeeding spaces and family-friendly workspaces, and strengthening maternity protection regulations.

“Inaction towards protecting and promoting breastfeeding in Zimbabwe will significantly put the country off-track towards economic and developmental aspirations by (1) undermining children’s constitutional and international rights to good nutrition as outlined in the Zimbabwe Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of Children; (2) undoing decades of investment in policymaking and programming aimed at protecting women’s right to breastfeeding; (3) regressing on national progress on infant and young child nutrition which has been prioritized as a key primary health care intervention immediately after independence; Zimbabwe has long been recognized globally as a leading example in stepping up efforts for the protection and promotion of breastfeeding; (4) downplaying the conflict of interest presented by breast milk substitute manufacturers who are profit oriented at the cost of child survival and optimal long-term development; and (5) predisposing Zimbabwean women and children to a never-ending cycle of poverty, sub-optimal early childhood development and disease.

“Therefore, for World Breastfeeding Week 2024, the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF and the World Health Organization together with their partners aim to (1) inform people about the benefits of breastfeeding and the inequalities that exist in breastfeeding support and prevalence across rural and urban areas, education and employment status and wealth quintiles; (2) anchor breastfeeding as an equaliser to close gaps in information, promotion and support within society; (3) engage with individuals and organisations to enhance collaboration and support for breastfeeding; and (4) galvanise action on reducing inequalities in breastfeeding support by focusing on vulnerable groups,” added the statement.

Japan donates US$774 000 for cholera

BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA

Manicaland Province has received a timely donation of US$774 000 from Japan for the emergency cholera response.

The donation which was made through UNICEF, will specifically target the most vulnerable communities in the province, which bears one of the highest burdens of the disease.

A statement by UNICEF revealed that the grant will provide a comprehensive range of life-saving support in areas such as access to safe water; provision of critical hygiene materials, healthcare, and nutrition; child protection; as well as other essential social services.

His Excellency Mr Shinichi Yamanaka, Japan’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe said, “I hope that our support will allow the most vulnerable people to recover quickly and rebuild their lives. I also hope it will help prevent the further spread of this disease and future outbreaks”.

Speaking on the same grant, Dr Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe said, “we are extremely grateful to the Government of Japan for this support.

“This support exemplifies the commitment of the Government of Japan to the people of Zimbabwe to address the urgent needs of the affected communities and build resilience in the face of public health emergencies.”

The statement further read that, “the newly allocated funding will help the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF, and their partners to scale-up the multi-sectoral cholera response in affected areas, prioritising improved support and treatment to people infected by cholera; securing access to safe water with a special emphasis on the rehabilitation of sustainable, climate-resilient boreholes to ensure a lasting supply of safe water; and disseminating messages on cholera prevention and treatment through mass media platforms and interpersonal communication channels.”

Zimbabwe has been grappling with the cholera outbreak since February last year, recording 20,000 cases and over 400 deaths. Manicaland and Harare are the hardest hit provinces, as both account for 64 percent of all cholera cases.

And since the start of the outbreak, UNICEF has been working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and partners to support affected communities, including by: “providing emergency health supplies and medical products to establish more than 50 cholera treatment centres and more than 90 community oral rehydration points in affected areas.

“Providing technical and operational support for the cholera vaccination campaign targeting 2.3 million people in the most affected districts.

“Training more than 2,200 health workers on case management, surveillance, and infection control in treatment facilities.

“Reaching more than 260,000 people with critical water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies.

“And reaching 5 million people with messages on health-and-hygiene measures to prevent cholera and the importance of seeking medical treatment early, particularly for children,” added the statement.