By Takemore Mazuruse
The recently launched Health Booths Project, whose primary focus is on attaining a Covid-19-free Zimbabwe, is scaling up fundraising efforts towards effective implementation of its activities.
Speaking to Standard Style, project coordinator Martin Chitsama said all was in place for the national roll-out of the project, but more financial and material support was needed from the corporate world, development players and humanitarian agencies, hence the fundraising launch to be held on October 1 at the University of Zimbabwe.
“The project is a partnership between the University of Zimbabwe, Bullion Healthcare (Pvt) Limited and the Zimbabwe College of Pathology. It has been approved by tHealth and Child Care ministry and we recently launched it in Epworth,” Chitsama said.
“We are grateful for the support received so far, but we will be launching a heightened fundraising campaign for the national roll-out of the project. The fundraising campaign will be launched on October 1, 2020 at the University of Zimbabwe.”
The Health Booths Project mission is to break the spread and reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic through deployment of health information kiosks that promote best-prevention practices against Covid-19 in local community spaces, border regions, travel hubs, retail hubs, markets, workplaces, schools, colleges, churches and gatherings in Zimbabwe.
According to the Health Booths Project corporate director Persistence Gwanyanya, deployment spaces for the booths will include markets and townships, residential suburbs and shopping centres, travel hubs and border regions, schools, colleges and universities, army barracks, police camps, prison camps and workplaces.
“Yes, we commend government for relaxing Covid-19 restrictions so that citizens can eke a living, but that again comes with great responsibility,” Gwanyanya said.
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“The number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise and we don’t want a return to the scaring spike in cases that we experienced earlier on.
“It is, therefore, important that we take the health booths to all public spaces so that the public is informed and remains alive to the dangers of Covid-19. We are therefore inviting corporates and all humanitarian aid partners to join and support this initiative.”
The Health Booths Project outcomes will include information dissemination and answering of frequently asked questions, best prevention practices, needs assessment, education, support of the national Covid-19 programme, Covid-19 stakeholder convergence, Covid-19 resilience, future response to epidemics and public health education.
Gwanyanya said the Health Booths Project comes in the wake of the April 2 launch of the Domestic and 70 International Humanitarian Appeal for Assistance by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in partnership with the United Nations with a budget of US$1,8 billion inclusive of US$220 million (later revised to US$300 million) for Covid-19 support.
“The request for support to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic is in line with government’s national Covid-19 Preparedness and Response Plan,” he said.
“In response to the appeal, development partners revised their Humanitarian Response Plan to include requirements towards the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In addition, most development partners reallocated and pledged and committed fresh resources from ongoing projects towards strengthening Zimbabwe’s public health response.”
Various partners, among them the Chinese government, European Union, Sweden, United Kingdom, World Bank, Global Fund, Africa 50, Health Development Fund, Zimfund and Gavi, have pledged support for this initiative.
Efforts by the Health Booths Project will, therefore, go a long way in enhancing the national Covid-19 programme and it is hoped their national fundraising launch will bear fruit as Zimbabwe battles to win the fight against Covid-19.
Neighbouring South Africa has also hinted on opening the borders while the government has allowed for inter-city travel as well as resumption of national and international flights. While all this is welcome, critics have called for more stringent measures in managing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
