MUTARE- Health care professionals and civic society organisations vested in sexual
reproductive health programmes should incorporate ways of communicating to people with
disabilities to effectively provide health care and implement programming in the country.
Speaking at a Sexual Reproductive Health and Family Planning review forum in Mutare, Nzeve-
Deaf programmes director Tafadzwa Chirara said lack of health workers who have the ability to
use sign language can be a problem in tackling HIV and family planning matters among those
with a hearing impairment.
“Language barriers are a significant healthcare problem and this is not just a problem for second
language speakers. Deaf people who communicate with sign language frequently do not have
access to clear and efficient communication in the healthcare system which deprives them of
critical health information and qualified health care,” she said.
She said effective communication is important for the country to achieve the 95-95-95 HIV
prevention target by 2030.
“Information on sexual reproductive health is not readily accessible to the deaf and many
healthcare givers are not proficient in sign language. Most terms used by the healthcare workers
are not known or understood by the deaf resulting in critical information not reaching the deaf
community,” she added.
Chirara said training health personnel in sign language was in line with the country’s constitution
and national thrust in leaving no place and no one behind in achieving an upper middle income
economy by the year 2030.
“ Chapter 1 subsection 6 (4) of the Constitution stipulates that the State must promote and
advance the use of all languages used in Zimbabwe, including sign language, and must create
conditions for the development of those languages. The incorporation of sign language in the
critical planning stages of all HIV/AIDS programming goes a long way in the inclusivity drive
and helps all stakeholders attain a common goal,” she said.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa is on record
saying Government was concerned with the wellbeing of people living with disabilities and sign
language was one of the key areas that Government was looking into.
“When the census report was released, Government noted that over 1,2 million Zimbabweans
were living with disabilities. We then resolved to find out their exact needs and find ways to
make sure that we can assist them. Sign language is one of the key areas that Government is
looking into and it is our wish that sign language becomes as prominent as all other languages,”
she said
Sign language is now part of the 16 languages recognised by the Constitution of Zimbabwe
under Section 6 with human rights activists calling on Government to ensure its promotion.
A few years ago, the Ministry of Health and Child Care embarked on a drive to teach selected
nurses sign language countrywide as a way of addressing problems faced by patients with
hearing and speech impairment.
This development saw 30 nurses at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals being trained.
