Media urged to desist from prioritising politics

ground as far as cholera is concerned against the content of news, you are then struck by the discordancy between what is in fact a growing health challenge and a very happy messaging.

“People are dying yet when you look at our headlines or voices coming from our radios, it is all music, conflict news and there is very little that is coming up by way of messaging around health issues,” he said.

According to Mr Charamba, the outbreak of cholera and typhoid which affected Gweru residents recently, spells a deteriorating trend of Zimbabwean hygienic standards.

“Whether you like it or not, this health challenge we are facing speaks a lot in terms of the level of hygiene in the country,” he said.

“Yes, we can talk about broken infrastructure or the fragile health delivery system but more critically, the absence of those two need not necessarily translate into an outbreak.”

Mr Charamba said the outbreak was triggered by the level of awareness around hygiene which exists within communities.

“I feel we have let down our nation as the media industry. We cannot continue to play music or keep the country riveted on politics, for which we know there has been closure, when people are dying. We have to shift the focus and concentrate on health issues and say community ABC, this is how you respond to the challenge.” — @ thamamoe