Unicef/Govt bring relief to vulnerable women and children

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter

UNICEF in partnership with the Government has developed various programmes that seek to respond to the needs of vulnerable women and children in Zimbabwe, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Uincef today released its 2021 Annual Report which outlines the situation for women and children in Zimbabwe with an overview of results and achievements in the areas of health, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, child protection, and social policy.

According to the new report various large scale programmes were implemented in 2021 in collaboration with the Government, World Health Organisation and partners benefiting the most vulnerable women and children in the country.

These were implemented through US$135 million contributed by donors, development partners, the multi-donor Development Fund and UN joint programmes to fund UNICEF programmes to respond to the needs of women and children in Zimbabwe.

In 2021 UNICEF and partners provided treatment to 81 percent of the adolescents affected by HIV/Aids, reached almost 400,000 children with emergency nutrition interventions, supported basic water supply services to more than 1,2 million people, provided learning opportunities to 150,000 children with disabilities and out-of school children and ensured child protection services to 98,000 children in need of special assistance.

The organisation also responded to the most urgent needs of women and children affected by Cyclone Idai, cholera, typhoid, and Covid-19, and mobilized US$11.79 million of humanitarian funding benefitting 1.9 million children.

“Our response to COVID-19, together with our partners, went up a gear. The support to the healthcare system contributed to sustaining essential health and nutrition services, and the Covid-19 vaccination rollout. We worked with the Government to introduce several measures to continue learning during the pandemic, and to reopen and keep schools safe,” said Dr Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF representative for Zimbabwe.

Other initiatives launched by Unicef last year include the Zimbabwe Learning Passport rolled out in partnership with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to increase access to digital learning for an additional 80 000 users and creating 3 700 local content learning materials.