SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURSES MANAGEMENT,CDE F.D.C.NHEMA(MP) ON THE HANDOVER OF MOSQUITO NETS TO ZIMBABWE PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND CHILDWELFARE,REGENT LABOROTORIES HARARE.

 

The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Douglas Mombeshora.

Officials from Regent Laboratories

The Director General Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Staff.

Officials from Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.>

Media Practitioners here present

Ladies and gentleman.

 

It gives me great pleasure this afternoon to receive mosquito nets from Regent Laboratories, through efforts by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, on behalf of Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.  The major focus for the Authority is to enhance protection of wildlife resources. One way of protecting the resources is to facilitate that parks staff health and safety issues are given the alter most priority. As you are aware ,Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority parks estates cover 13.1% of Zimbabwe, of which most of them are situated in the malaria zones, within the Zambezi Valley, North West Matabeleland, Sebungwe Region and South East Lowveld.

 

The Mosquito nets donated today will no doubt go a long way in not only reducing the risk of large mosquito bites and contracting the deadly malaria but further creating a conducive working environment. Some of you might be aware that malaria area zones also constitute the known trypanosomes areas due to presence of tsetse fly (Glossina sp).

I therefore also call upon health organisations to partner the authority in helping to prevent and manage sleeping sickness cases causes by tsetse flies especially in the Zambezi Valley. The Authority has challenges in providing repellents, profelatic drugs and education and awareness about trypanosomisis (sleeping sickness) and malaria. Currently the authority had to seek assistance from neighbouring Zambia.

 

In conclusion , I would like to emphasize that my office and stakeholders expect an improvement in the overall protection and conservation of wildlife resources and at the same time also improve the welfare of field staff especially rangers who face the harsh working environment. Besides ensuring that the rangers are trained and well equipped let me further challenge management at Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to make the health of their staff a number one priority by constantly checking their health.

To the Director General let these mosquito nets be expeditiously disbursed to the intended beneficiary, the ranger in the field.

 

I THANK YOU.