UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

COMMUNITY HEALTH STUDY PROJECT

2021

FIRST PHASE PRESENTATION

APRIL 30, 2021

BY F.MUTORI
UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am really grateful to my project supervisor, Doctor Dube, whose assistance and support was of greatest

significance. For the information generously shared by the Highfield stakeholders, formal and informal health

care providers, police officers and community members, I greatly appreciate. More so, I am very grateful for the

paramount support, encouragement and financial assistance I received from my mother (Mrs Mutori), fellow

religious sisters and friends. Finally, I am most thankful to God for leading me through phase one.
 BRIEF HISTORY

Highfield is the largest and second oldest high-density suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe It was

built to house Rhodesians of African origin, the first being Mbare. Highfield was built by the

Southern Rhodesian government in the 1930s as a segregated township to house

predominantly black labourers employed in the nearby industrial zones of Southerton and

Workington and their families during the colonial era. Highfield was founded on what used to

be Highfields Farm and the farmhouses have become the Rutsanana clinic.
 LOCATION

Highfield is located in South West Harare and is bordered by Glen Norah to the South West, Waterfalls to the

South East, Willowvale and Southerton spanning North East to North West. The centre of Highfield is marked

by the North Eastern corner of Chengu Primary School.

 AREAS OF HIGHFIELD

Highfield is divided into several zones, the primary zones being Old Highfield and New Highfield. New Highfield

was established in 1956 and comprises Lusaka, having a significant part of its population who are of Zambian and

Malawian origin; Egypt, Jerusalem and Canaan named after biblical places; Engineering; Cherima (Dark Zone)

used to be off the electricity grid; Zororo (place of rest); and Western Triangle.

The newest area of Highfield is Paradise (1996) which is located at the southern end and borders Lusaka; it

connects Highfield to nearby Glen Norah suburb to the South and part of it is in Glen Norah. In terms of education

there are eleven primary schools, six secondary schools and many emerging private colleges (catering for an

increasing population).
 ECONOMY

Highfield community has remained a poor suburb despite the regeneration in other areas after 1980. Most of

its successful residents choose to move out of the area rather than invest and set up in the area. It also

remains a primary destination for rural to urban migrants, who find it easier to pay for accommodation and

commute to work. They are also attracted by the easier opportunities to start up home businesses at

Machipisa and Gazaland Home Industry areas. It thus remains heavily populated, with high unemployment

and is socially deprived. Petty crime is high as well as more serious crimes like burglaries, assaults and

grievous bodily harm.

In Highfield community there is one police station (Machipisa Police Station) and one police post, that is, the

Mbizi Police Post. According to the interviewed police officer the importance of the police in the community is to

maintain law and order, refer victims to family support unit, to offer counselling to some victims and refer them

for emergence treatment. More so, they engage into awareness campaigns for example on COVID 19 Disease,

encouraging people to observe social distancing and to mask up. The officer also highlighted sexual assaults,

drug abuse, and theft cases as the most prevalent crimes. Prior to the above, he also mentioned some of the

challenges they are facing for example lack of resources such as transport to move from one place to another

and stationery for their paper work.

 HEALTH FACILITIES

In terms of health facilities there are three government clinics, namely Rutsanana, Utsanana and Satellite

clinic. Despite these council owned clinics there are also a number of emerging private clinics. According to

the interviewed nurse, the clinic organogram is as follows;

 Director of Health service

Chief Nursing Officer

Deputy of health service

Matron

Sister in Charge
Senior Nurse One and Two

Junior Nurse

Data Entry Clerk

Primary counsellor

Nurse aid

Grounds man
The interviewed nurse also highlighted Opportunistic Infections or Antiretroviral therapy (ART) care, Voluntary

Medical male Circumcision (VMMC), Family Health Services (FHS) which include immunization outreach services,

nutrition education for mothers of under-five, family planning education, maternity services and the

environmental Health Services as the primary services they offer to the community.
A number of the community members especially those of the Malawian origin depend on herbs for treatment.

Grandmother Sithole (registered traditional healer) mentioned that they use herbs to heal, protect and make human

life available. Grandmother Sithole also highlighted the conditions they can cure such as stomach aches, back aches,

cancers and birth defects (such as cleft lips).She also mentioned that they are capable of aiding pregnancy and child

birth using herbs.

THANK YOU

The end…