CACTH THEM YOUNG POLICY IN FIGHT AGAINST DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

As Zimbabwe grapples with rising cases of drug use, particularly among young people, stories like those of Kudzi and Tinotenda offer both caution and hope.

H-Metro Reporter

PROVINCIAL Education Director for Harare Metropolitan Province, Joram Mupunza, says the Ministry of Health and Child Care is conducting a targeted campaign in primary schools to educate pupils about the dangers and risks associated with drug abuse.

Mupunza said they want to catch them young.

“If the message is instilled in them at a young age I am sure it will help, we have also introduced counselling sessions in schools so that we deal with mental health issues among learners.

“As schools, we realised that the health of the child matters first so we are taking the issue of drug abuse seriously.

“We are equally excited about the feeding programme as it shows the health of the child matters.”

MoHCC Director of Policy Planning and Health Economics, Tonderai Kadzere, said:

“We realised that we cannot talk of education without talking about health and so we are taking advantage of schools as learners will be in one place,” he said.

“We want learners to take health issues seriously and so, through the Schools Health Policy, we are making inroads.”