By Flata Kavinga
The Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) has donated an autoclave machine worth approximately US$1,500 to Kwekwe Infectious Diseases Hospital to strengthen infection prevention and control and improve the quality of healthcare services.
The donation, made under the BRAVE U’WILL Project, is expected to enhance the sterilisation of reusable medical instruments, reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections and improving the safety of services offered to patients.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, ZNFPC Midlands provincial manager Karen Dzuke said the equipment would support efforts to provide safe and quality sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for adolescents and young people aged between 10 and 24.
“Access alone is not enough. Young people must receive services in an environment that upholds safety, dignity, confidentiality and quality of care,” she said.
Dzuke said infection prevention and control was fundamental to quality healthcare delivery, particularly during sexual and reproductive health procedures such as the insertion and removal of long-acting reversible contraceptives.
She urged Kwekwe City Council to ensure the proper use and maintenance of the equipment to guarantee its long-term functionality.
“Equipment of this nature requires responsible management, trained personnel, consistent availability of essential supplies and adherence to standard operating procedures,” she said.
Dzuke said the success of the BRAVE Project should be measured by improvements in healthcare quality and the removal of barriers preventing young people from accessing services.
The BRAVE U’WILL Project, funded through Plan International, is being implemented by ZNFPC in Kwekwe and Bulawayo districts, with the organisation focusing on the service provision component.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the local authority, Kwekwe City Council assistant director of Health Services Sister Tendayi Shumba said the equipment would strengthen infection prevention and control across health facilities in the city.
“We are very grateful to receive this autoclave machine. It will go a long way in improving services under the BRAVE Project, not only under the project but across all facilities in the area,” she said.
Shumba expressed hope that the support from ZNFPC, Plan International and other project partners would continue, saying such interventions would contribute to positive outcomes in the community.
She said the council valued the existing partnership and remained committed to improving healthcare services through continued collaboration with its development partners.
