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Tina Musonza-Herald Correspondent

The Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Association of Zimbabwe(SHAZ) is offering early screening and treatment of spina bifida and hydrocephalus to children.

Spina bifida is a birth defect in which a baby’s spinal cord fails to develop properly while hydrocephalous is a condition where a build-up of fluid in the cavities happens deep within the brain.

The extra fluid puts pressure on the brain and can cause brain damage. It’s most common in infants and older adults.

Screening for the two conditions started this week ahead of surgeries to be done at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare.

In an interview on Monday SHAZ programmes director Miss Shamiso Kurewa said they partnered with Celebration Health, Miracle Missions, Yonsei University Health System among others to treat children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus in Harare.

She said the operations would take place up to Friday this week, adding that they were targeting 38 people and 20 children had so far showed up ahead of their operations.

“We are going to be operating children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Screening was done yesterday and we have repeat cases where children encountered challenges with blocked shunt from previous operations.

Our target for this camp is 38 patients and it is free of charge. So far we have started operating two children, we are supposed to operate 7 per day.

She said scanning was set in place for children then they will proceed for surgeries.

Kurewa commended the Government for permitting private hospitals to do surgeries in Harare since it is a mobile place.

She said there was need for more mobile places to facilitate early spinal bifida and hydrocephalus detection and treatment since cases were increasing.

Sally Mugabe Central Hospital neurologist Dr Mandla Maposa said all was set for the smooth running of the surgical procedures after they selected children that were fit to be operated on.

“We have started operating on children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. We did our screening at the weekend to see children that are coming in.

“We normally select the ones that fit into the criteria for these two conditions. We have started operating on children with hydrocephalus conditions, that is those with increased spinal fluids around their brains,” said Dr Maposa.

He said children with special conditions such as respiratory problems were not fit for the surgeries.

Dr Maposa urged parents to get children screened for easy treatment of spinal bifida and hydrocephalus.

Miss Vimbai Mureba from Chiredzi said she was happy to deliver her baby for free hydrocephalus treatment.

“I am happy my child is getting through this surgery and I hope it will help reduce some challenges we have been going through. He has been facing challenges with his eyesight. I discovered he had hydrocephalus during my pregnancy scanning. I hope the doctors will help,” said Miss Mureba.