UNICEF Hails Village Health Workers

…….Professional nurses – launches tailor-made health campaign in their honour

By Nyasha Mutena

UNICEF Zimbabwe has expressed high gratitude to Village health workers and nurses at primary health facilities for guaranteeing access to basic health services in the Country.

In their honor, the organization launched a “Champions of Health” communication campaign through different communication channels to highlight their work. Through an official communique yesterday, Mr Yves Willemot, Chief Communications, UNICEF Zimbabwe, said Zimbabwe’s significant progress in providing access to basic health services is anchored in the adoption of the Primary Health Care approach as well as the selfless contributions extended by healthcare personnel.

He said the media will be chief in delivering the international body’s mandate in this regard through producing merit based profiles of village health workers and the professional nurses. These are to be featured on UNICEF Zimbabwe’s official website.

“Zimbabwe has made some notable progress in providing access to basic health services. This progress was primarily made possible by Zimbabwe’s adoption of the Primary Health Care approach supported by the contributions of the village health workers and the professional nurses in the delivery of primary healthcare services. They are instrumental in ensuring basic health services are available to those in need and generating demand for health services by the population, including immunization, which – together with Vitamin A supplementation – is one of the most cost-effective childhood health interventions.

“Central in UNICEF’s communication campaign on health are the profiles of village health workers and professional nurses, which will be featured on the website of UNICEF Zimbabwe www.unicef.org/zimbabwe and social media. Media will be invited to cover stories on the village health workers and professional nurses following media briefings and through media visits in the field”, he said.

He added that there will also be a radio campaign of Public Service Announcements with messages from frontline health workers which will be broadcast on Star FM and community radios.

Mr Willemot mentioned that the communication on health will also highlight the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Child Care, UNICEF and health partners in supporting the work of village health workers and professional nurses.

Meanwhile, this campaign will coincide with the upcoming World Water Day later this month, as well as World Health Day and the Immunization Week in April.