Zambia is among the six countries in Africa which are on track to achieving the low child mortality rate.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative Iyorlumum Uhaa commended the Zambian government for the strides it is making in the health sector.
Dr Uhaa who could not name the other five African countries doing well however said Zambia needs to re-double her efforts in accelerating the challenges associated with child deaths.
Dr Uhaa who commended Zambia’s efforts in health delivery while speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday however, bemoaned the long distances between one health centre to the other.
And visiting UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Geeta Rao Gupta urged the government to utilise the platform by engaging all stakeholders to address the challenges in the health sector in the remaining couple of years before the United Nations 2015 Millennium Development Goal on achieving quality health care.
Ms Gupta also echoed similar sentiments that Zambia has made great strides in maternal and child health especially in areas of immunization, malaria prevention and control as well as access to anti retroviral drugs.
She said an initiative dubbed “A promise Renewed” gives Zambia hope to preserve the productive age group from 18 to 36 who constitute 75 percent of the country’s population.
She added that these gains were possible through the efforts of Zambian government through increased investments in programmes implemented by the Ministry of Health as well as donors using global fund such as the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Ms Gupta reiterated her organisation’s commitment to assisting Zambia to identify and reach-out to disadvantaged children in remote communities noting that it was un-acceptable for mothers and children to die in a premature manner amidst plenty of health care interventions.
ZANIS
UNICEF has lost its status like Mama Mazoka
Dr Uhaa’s observations are very misleading. How can Zambia be on track to achievng low mortalty rate when health standards are deteriorating? Be it in urban or rural areas, our health sector has been crippled by problems such as lack of qualified staff, poor infrastructure, lack of medicine and inadequate facilities. It is therefore amazing that a country with such a gloomy picture is making impressive strides.
This is over a 10 year period from 2000 to 2010. As ever instead of reporting facts ZANIS thinks it is better to serve its political masters by been as vague as possible.
Bravo!!! Bravismo!!!
i know you guys now. your ambitions are to become politicians, so were told that you need to be argumentative for you to become good politicians.Go back to your mentors they will tell you that they didnt mean baseless urguments.
NO:4 what is a “private citizen????” And what sort of Doc are you?????
Good efforts and need to be commended.