Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
THE Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) held a Health and Wellness Day in Harare this Thursday as part of efforts to promote holistic well-being focusing on physical health, mental resilience and family wellness.
The wellness day brought together health experts, private partners and members of the armed forces to raise awareness on key health issues affecting their community.
Harare District Senior Medical Officer, Dr Sean Matete said the initiative is meant to promote a culture of self-care within the armed forces, emphasising the strength of a nation depends on the health of its soldiers.
“The army and the soldiers are the backbone of our country, so it is important for us to have healthy soldiers both physically and mentally. We are seeing a rise in drug and substance abuse and other mental health issues that were not openly discussed in the past. This platform allows soldiers to freely talk about their challenges and access the help they need,” he said.Experts and partners addressed the importance of holistic health for soldiers and their families.
The programme also emphasised family wellness, with health partners highlighting the importance of proactive healthcare and parenting within military communities.
“Kidzcan is proud to be part of the ZNA Health and Wellness Day. As the theme goes, a healthy soldier, a healthy nation. If soldiers and their families are healthy, the nation benefits. We are raising awareness on childhood cancers and encouraging active parenting to detect signs early,” said Mrs Pamela Makanjera, Kidzcan Programmes Manager.
Neuropsychology student Mr Neeraj Madzivanyika underscored the urgent need to promote mental health among uniformed forces.
“It is important for us to talk about these things to the armed forces because we see with most uniformed forces health-seeking behaviours are low, and unfortunately, we are in a generation where suicidal rates in men are four times as much as compared to women, and the rates are much higher in uniformed forces.
“Promoting mental health speaks to advocating for people to engage in more health-seeking behaviours and reducing stigma against mental health conditions. With our army, it is important because they are usually in stressful environments, including combat, which puts them at risk of things like stress, post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, anxiety, and sometimes suicide and suicidal ideation,” he said.
ZNA Senior Psychologist, Major Misheck Munyai, added that the awareness campaign provides valuable insight into psychological well-being and strengthens the support structures available to soldiers.
“These programmes are very important to the army as they give them information and insight about their mental condition, which they may face. By giving awareness campaigns, we are giving them insight about certain conditions,” he added.
The ZNA Wellness Day forms part of ongoing efforts by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to strengthen the health and welfare of its members through preventive care, education and partnerships with both government and private health institutions.
