Climate-resilience projects benefit pregnant women in Mt Darwin

Talent Gore in MT DARWIN

CLIMATE-RESILIENCE projects being piloted by the Government and a local NGO in Mt Darwin have been welcomed as a positive development in protecting the health of pregnant women and infants against the effects of heat spawned by rising temperatures due to climate change.

In Mt Darwin, the Heat Adaptation for Pregnant Women and Infants (HAPI) initiative, run in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, is piloting several climate-resilience projects, including community woodlots and improvements to rural health facilities.

The district is among the country’s most heat-vulnerable areas, covering Mt Darwin District Hospital and rural centres such as Dotito and Chitse.

Mt Darwin Ward 23 Village head Freddy Magutakuona commended the project, saying the intervention is already easing pressure on vulnerable households.

“This programme has brought relief to our pregnant women. Before, many suffered during heat waves, but now the early-warning messages and improved facilities are helping protect mothers and babies. As a community, we are fully behind this work,” he said.

The Centre for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Research Zimbabwe (CeSHHAR Zimbabwe) community liaison officer, Mr Lloyd Pisa, said the woodlot programme was designed to reduce deforestation, strengthen food security and create long-term carbon-sequestration opportunities.

“The current status in Mt Darwin is that we have a large majority of farmers who rely on wood products to cure their tobacco, and this has an adverse effect on climate change,” Mr Pisa said.

“This limits the amount of carbon sequestration that can happen in the area. So this project comes into play where we’re trying to reduce carbon emissions and also encourage the community to be self-sustaining.”

Mr Pisa said the woodlots form part of a broader effort to improve nutrition, strengthen livelihoods and prepare communities to participate in future carbon markets.

He said villagers donated more than 22 hectares of land to support the initiative.

“We will start with a two-hectare demo site to demonstrate that this is possible and feasible,” he said.

“The idea is to have carbon woodlot sites that are scalable across Zimbabwe and Africa. If scaled up to other environments, this will go a long way in managing carbon emissions.”

Mt Darwin district medical officer Dr George Mupiye confirmed some upgrades at targeted health facilities to help them cope with rising temperatures.

He said recent assessments focused on how changing weather patterns were affecting health workers and pregnant women, particularly in regions classified as Natural Regions 4 and 5.

“As you all know, the weather pattern has changed and temperatures are rising,” Dr Mupiye said.

“They researched how it is affecting health workers and pregnant women, and we compiled what they found.

“Currently, they have installed solar systems, water tanks and changed roofing at the facilities.”

Dr Mupiye said Dotito Clinic had already received a roof replacement and solar power installation, while similar work was underway at other facilities to make them conducive for pregnant women and babies.

He added that Zimbabwe must continue adapting because “nobody will come and solve your issues,” emphasising that climate impacts require local solutions.

The HAPI initiative is aligned with the Harare Declaration on Climate and Health for Africa, adopted at the inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC) held in Harare last year.

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