UPND Demands Immediate Ordering of HIV Test Kits
Zambia has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. 1.3 Million Zambians are living with HIV and all of us are, in one way or another, affected by HIV.
One of the most reliable methods in HIV prevention is testing. There are a lot of people who do not yet know their HIV status. Testing is very important. Those that test negative are likely to adopt a lifestyle that will prevent them from contracting HIV, while those that test positive will be referred for appropriate services and treatment.
Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTC) of HIV entails that all pregnant women are tested for HIV so that in the event that they test positive medication to prevent the unborn baby from contracting HIV can be prescribed. The percentage of babies born with HIV can be as high as 45% in the absence of PMTC intervention, but are almost zero percent when adequate PMTC services are available.
The delivery of expired HIV tests kits to health facilities and the subsequent expiry of 500,000 test kits makes for very sad reading. This Government has put the lives of a lot of people, including unborn babies, at risk. The total monetary loss is in the million of dollars. Someone must be held accountable for this and the buck stops with the President. This HIV test kits story, as sad as it is, exemplifies how the PF Government has mismanaged the economy and the knock on impact this failed management is now having on our broader development prospects, basic service provision and quality of life for the majority of Zambians.
We demand adequate stocks of HIV test kits are ordered as a matter of urgency. We also demand that the President take appropriate action against erring officials. Law enforcement agencies should take interest in this case for evidence of possible criminal negligence.
Charles Kakoma
UPND spokesperson
Mmmmmmmmh they have gone to HIV now kikikiki kukosa bane.
Typical PF cadres..read the statement and understand. Are you not bothered that thousands of people even unborn children are at risk because of negligence by PF govt?
@Brian you are right……now another propaganda! Really ..kikikiki kukosa bane!
Another one is Human Rights allegations by one HH, the mad man!
Aya ama demands kuti wapushila no ku pushila uketemwa ukaba pamulabansa.
Agony is when you are really convinced you have won the elections and are in government.
kkkkkkkk @ 3 . TRUE MUTAFELA THAT SURE IS AGONY.
All candidates must take a public HIV test
To save the country huge costs on by electing
Can ECZ Ensure that HIV be part of its requirements
icilema indeed cilema holistically.I heard on MUVUTV news saying, in a statement sent to the studio, that the President should just in state instead of touring the country checking on on-going projects!!Surely a person vying for a presidency can have an attitude If anything the touring of the country is long overdue, that is his work, to compare paper reports with actual reported on.This is person once elected will be boasting of his dubiously acquired riches if questioned on dealings.Remember mwanawasa at one time said after all he was getting more from his law firm than from being a president, this was just telling as he doing a service and owe it to him.This is what icilema will also be insulting the poor,especially in rural areas.
Icilema went on to say Lungu was checking on projects…
Yesterday was an ultimatum and today it’s a demand… truly UPND are under fives.
Sure!!
The real problem in Zambia is the reluctance to adopt safe behaviour and the writer is velar about that fact since he thinks kits are the solution . I think we need people to start evaluating how their personal conduct impacts on undermining our economy and the future of children .
There is needs fr the kits and gov’t must ensure availability immediately, but Kakoma should be responsible and realise the ‘under’ message his unbalanced message had.
@patriot abroad you are right, infact those kit expired becouse people like kakoma don’t want to take hiv tests,if they did the kit would have been used within the time frame.
Upnd,you have no powers to instruct us as government. Just sort out your running mate issue.GBM is about to beat and I mean a good beating ba HH.tamwamwishiba.u just busy ukusabaila.time is going lwenu,ine namwebakofye.
under Lungu their is a shortage of everything…mealie meal, petrol, diesel, HIV study kits, money to pay students, money to pay lecturers, money to pay…dear me to list more shortages and i will surely do so.