Nigeria Health Watch
By Josephine Chinele (Lead Writer) Her priest’s announcement was enough reason for Cecelia Yohane, a resident of Nchalo Chikwawa, to have her 2-year-old grandchild vaccinated against polio. “All my children are not educated, not many people in my village are educated either. But I want to change our story through my grandchildren. I want this […]
By Metasebia Dereje and Beti Baiye The thrill and anticipation of becoming a new mother is universal and the life of every pregnant woman matters. No woman should lose her life, because she is giving life, no matter where she lives and regardless of her income. This is why the unacceptably high ratios of maternal […]
By Joyce Chimbi (Lead Writer) Homabay County has been the face of HIV/Aids in Kenya as it has the country’s oldest and largest HIV treatment programme. Nearly a quarter of the county’s entire population lives with HIV. “Six years ago, with an overall HIV prevalence-for all adults and children- of 25.7 percent against a national […]
By Josephine Chinele (Lead Writer) Jackline Chiwinga remembered the euphoria of waking up to dry bedding after her successful obstetric fistula repair surgery. Seventeen years old and married, for one year, she lived with stigma, gossip, and isolation due to the constant leaking of urine and the foul odour that followed her everywhere. However, everything […]
By Leocadia Bongben (Lead Writer) Jean Firwa and his wife Martha were excited to be expecting a baby after 10 years of trying to conceive. However, neither realised that their joy would be short-lived. On the morning of May 15, 2015, tragedy struck for the couple. Experiencing sharp pains, Martha needed to be transported to […]
By Rabson Kondowe (Lead Writer) Martha Mastala knew something was wrong with her 5-year-old son when she noticed that he was less jovial than usual, so she took him to Wimbe Health Centre in Kasungu district, Central Malawi, where he tested positive for malaria. The health centre had run out of anti-malaria drugs, but an […]
By Josephine Chinele A sanitary towel is a basic need for every girl and woman and must be available to them when they need it. But where there is no access to sanitary towels due to financial hardship, women and girls in low resource settings like Malawi have learnt to value the dual functions of […]
Ìgwèbụ̀íké is an Igbo phrase which means “there is strength in community.” Community plays an important role in every aspect of our lives. Having a sense of community unites us. Being a part of a community can make us feel as though we are a part of something greater than ourselves. Since 2017, through the […]
Health care should be equitable. This means it must be accessible to anyone, regardless of social class, or place of residence. For a pregnant woman dwelling either in the hills of Rwanda, or in the deserts of Niger Republic, comprehensive antenatal care and support is very important. The work of providing critical care to women […]
By Farai Shawn Matiashe (Lead Writer) In Zana 3, Wedza District, 131 kilometres south of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, Talent Zindi, 21, a subsistence farmer, is inspecting the ear flowers of a maize plant in her field. She will be harvesting her maize crop in two weeks. Zindi says the harvest season reminds her […]
By Christabel Ligami (Lead Writer) Esther Wawire, 23, delivered her daughter at Kenya’s Punwani Hospital two weeks ago, but was unable to breastfeed due to complications arising from the delivery. “I had high blood pressure, so my baby was born earlier than expected, weighing 800 grams,” she said. “My pressure didn’t go down immediately, and […]
By Rabson Kondowe and Feston Malekezo (Lead Writers) “I thought I was going to die, I nearly gave birth on a ship,” Lucy Chirambo said somberly. It was in the wee hours of a cold July in 2016 when Chirambo started showing labour signs. Without hesitation, her husband hastily took her to Tchalo Health Centre, […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of challenges and disruptions to our lives. The livelihood of people has been affected and the pandemic has taken a toll on people’s mental and psychological health. In Zimbabwe, Friendship Bench, a community-based approach is providing solutions to people struggling with their mental health during this pandemic. Friendship […]