Visiting World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti has observed that Zambia’s health system is underfunded.
Dr Moeti has since called on the government and its cooperating partners to invest more in the health sector.
And Moeti says Zambia is still carrying a heavy burden of communicable diseases.
She adds that the country is also starting to face an emerging problem of non communicable diseases, with health facilities that are not strong enough to deal with the problem.
She says the approach the Zambian government is proposing now and which the WHO strongly supports is to develop a strong health system.
Dr. Moeti says this entails the country working towards having more health facilities such as clinics, referral hospitals, adequate health workers and good data system.
Speaking at media briefing held in Lusaka this morning, Dr. Moeti noted that the WHO strongly believes this is the approach that can deliver in terms of dealing with the problems the country’s health sector is facing.
Dr. Moeti states the WHO will keep its work on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria while the approach will be modified slightly in order that it pays more attention to improving and building up a system that will deliver services to address these problems.
He says the intention of her organization is also to sustain the gains that have been made so far in addressing the problems of the country.
And Dr. Moeti has disclosed that in her interaction with the Zambian government it has been agreed that Zambia does not have capacity yet in terms of surveillance and follow ups of rumors of disease outbreaks.
She says the World Health Organisation is of the view that there is need for the country to build capacity by not only putting in place a system where the country will be ready to prevent an outbreak, but will be able to diagnose what it is.
Yes…and water is wet.
”And Dr. Moeti has disclosed that in her interaction with the Zambian government it has been agreed that Zambia does not have capacity yet in terms of surveillance and follow ups of rumors of disease outbreaks”……………Zambia is indeed a country of rumours!!!
This is the most obvious thing ever stated. She traveled all the way to Zambia to say that. Okay, Inswa zichoka mu chaka cha nvula.
Yet we see more effort and resources being invested in politics. When are we going to start seeing real investment in health, education, social welfare and economic infrastructure? Right now one only sees more efforts and resources in campaigns for 2016. How can our head (s) of state talk of progress when none of the (except KK) always dash to foreign clinics at the earliest signs of any illness. The tax payers are bottom of the ladder. Only permanent ineffective ambassadors enjoy themselves. No retirement for some of themy surely.
Investment in education and health is beneficial to all Zambia. Images of Chawama on the Internet are really an embarrassment. I can imagine what those of Mandevu, George compound, Misisi, Soweto market etc would do to Zambia’s reputation abroad. We have so much to do as a country. Corruption should be the last thing we should tolerate in this country. We need every coin to be accounted for and used for development. Too many embassies. Do you know how much one embassy costs the tax payer per month? You will cry.
In a developing country Health care should always be number 1 priority, a healthy worker is a happy worker and a happy worker will always do a good job!
Chawama has produced a President. We have had inadequate funding for every thing non-political in Zambia and that also explains why embezzlement has been rife seeing that the underfunding is deliberate and therefore extra funding is seen as s surplus. It is only in Zambia where we can even tolerate such useless assertions.
Can the Zambia Medical Association comment on this.You have commented on giving condoms to prisoners in the past ,so Dr.Mujata ,what do you say?