Poor Road Infrastructure Block Zaka from SRH Services

By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu

Zaka – Women in Zaka district Ward 27 are struggling to access Sexual Reproductive Health Services due to the poor state of their roads which has resulted in public transport operators abandoning them for safer routes.


Accessing SRH services has been a challenge worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Department of District Development Fund (DDF) and the Zaka Rural District Council are failing to maintain the roads which continue to deteriorate each day.

The poor state of the roads is affecting a lot of developmental activities in Zaka. Travelling to Ndanga Hospital where residents can get health services is a challenge and they have called out for those in authority to rehabilitate the roads to ease their burden.

45 year old, Selina Muromo from Ward 27 said travelling is a challenge especially if one does not have a car to move from one place to another.

“The state of the roads in our District is now beyond control, transporters are abandoning our roads and by doing so we do not have any means of transportation. We need to go to Ndanga hospital to access SRH services so there is need for our council to also take action and make sure our roads are rehabilitated. We do not have any place where we can get services, there is also need for us to have many clinics in different parts of Zaka. We end up taking advantage of those who get the chance to get in town and that way we are able to buy pills and staff, challenge comes when you need to get those family planning methods that needs one to travel,” she said.

27 year old Christina Mutambara from the same ward said organisations that used to visit and educate them on SRH issues have since abandoned them.

“Most of the Non-Governmental Organisations are now avoiding visitation due to the state of the roads, and now we are no longer getting the workshops we used to get which were eye opening,” she said.

In an interview with Communications Officer for Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council, Herbert Chikosi stated some of the notable challenges women affecting women in other parts of the rural areas across Masvingo districts.

“Distance to service delivery points and transport cost to seek services has been the greatest challenge. In new resettled areas there are no health facilities and the distances area bit long and as you are aware, the cost is too much. While efforts are being made that a bare minimum of 3 family planning methods outside pills and condoms are provided at a facility, we still have some site where method mix is still limited, so it restricts women and young girls in rural areas to choose their preferred choice especially long acting reversible contraception because service providers are not trained,” said Chikosi.