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Masvingo Bureau
The Ministry of Health and Child Care and its development partners have opened a Family and Child Health Unit at Chiredzi General Hospital.

The unit – constructed at a cost of $52 000 – will serve more than 73 000 patients per annum.

It was built with the help of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the FACE HIV Consortium, which comprises the Organisation for Public Health Interventions and Development, JF Kapnek Trust and Zimbabwe AIDS Prevention Project Trust.

Addressing guests during the official handover of the one-stop-shop facility recently, FACE HIV Consortium chief of party Mrs Patricia Mbetu said their primary role was to eliminate the spread of the HIV and AIDS among the young generation.

According to Mrs Mbetu, most people are not volunteering to get tested because of the shortage of confidential and private space in the majority of areas.

“The Family and Child Health Unit here at Chiredzi District Hospital required attention,” she said.

“We know that the unit receives about 200 clients every day, including women seeking ante-natal, post-natal care, child growth monitoring for their children and reproductive health services.”

Mrs Mbetu said the facility will provide a friendly environment to those seeking health services.

“We acted on the request to ensure that the women, their partners and children received a package of services under one roof and avoid missing out on any opportunity to provide comprehensive health care,” she said.

“I am also thrilled that the successful implementation of this project is a step towards elimination of new HIV infections among the children. Under this new unit, pregnant and breastfeeding women will be offered HIV testing and those who need treatment will have access to it for their own health and to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV.”