Many people succumb to conditions such as hypertension, cardiac disease, renal failure, cerebrovascular accidents.
Stroke alone accounts for close to five million deaths annually while hypertension alone directly and indirectly takes at least seven million lives from this world yearly.
Many of our people have experienced mental health issues with depression being a dominant issue.
The consequences are dire with suicide cases being rampant in the country.
Some have resorted to drug abuse with deleterious effects which include end organ damage, social isolation, behaviour nuisance to mention just a few.
We need to keep our bodies healthy so that we live longer.
Zimbabwe heads for harmonised elections on August 23 and the pre-election atmosphere is electric with political activists running from one corner to another.
The campaigns are being vigorously done as leaders try to sell their manifestos and ideologies to the electorate.
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Zimbabweans are generally peace-loving citizens who usually shun violence and as the political temperatures continue to rise, citizens should be reminded to remain peaceful as we are all sons and daughters of this beautiful country.
If we are sent to fight against each other, then we are doomed as a nation as the repercussions will still come to haunt us.
There is no country that can develop without unity of purpose as political development entails an increase in political unity and participation.
Economic development arises with peace prevailing.
The quality of life of a nation, region or community can improve as goals and objectives are met.
Peace is important for everyone.
Elections in Zimbabwe come with a lot of physical, mental, psychological health problems.
Physical effects have mainly come from violence when people fight against each other while defending their candidates.
Some have been amputated before while others face the grim reality of having to stay with disabilities for the rest of their lives.
Some are incarcerated for crimes ranging from gross assault, attempted murder, kidnapping and murder and the consequences will haunt the perpetrators in their personal capacities.
A country cannot be said to be civilised when citizens fight and murder each other because of politicians.
We are all Zimbabweans and we need each other for our survival.
It is a pity that some patients who have chronic conditions actually default on important medications because they have no time for follow ups and reviews with their medical practitioners due to many rallies that have to be attended to.
Chronic conditions like Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, HIV and Aids, Epilepsy have to be followed closely and medicine intake should be robust, religious and timely.
Skipping doses or complete default will bring calamitous results in the near future as there can be risk of serious drug resistance especially with conditions such as HIV and Aids.
A politician with high blood pressure who is supposed to address three rallies in a single day has a high risk of getting a stroke, same as a cardiac disease patient politician who is supposed to work for extraordinarily long hours without adequate rest.
One has to value their health matters at the expense of politics which will come and go. We have lost many politicians from conditions such as heart attack, cerebrovascular accidents (stroke), hypoglycaemia, renal failure which all came about because they could not find time to have their conditions checked.
If power is more important than your health, then you are still in the doldrums of mental dysfunction and one should never conflate political power with good health.
Mental health issues can creep in before and after August elections.
Politicians should be taught not to over-invest in politics as they can run the risk of developing loss stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and even mental break-down.
It is, thus, imperative to know that politics is just a game that will just come to pass.
Today, one is a leader and the next day the same person is led by someone.
Let us all be wary of our health as we continue to canvass support for our respective leaders.
Your health matters!
