President Edgar Lungu has said that his government has embarked on a transformational agenda of attaining Universal Health Coverage using an integrated community based primary health care approach because he believes that Zambia will only prosper if the citizens are healthy. .
The President said this when he launched the market community health initiative at the new Soweto market in Lusaka yesterday morning.
The President stated that the market initiative is a demonstration of governments commitment to deliver health services as close to the citizens as possible.
He said the initiative will provide a contemporary model for addressing health service provision across the continuum of care in congregate settings and would leave no one behind.
“The market community health initiative is aimed at serving our citizens who may otherwise have difficulty in accessing preventive and basic curative health services because they are busy engaging in various economic activities. As a caring government which understands the challenges traders especially women go through to access health services from distance places away from their trading places, we have come up with this initiative that creates an opportunity for traders and shoppers to easily access health services at their convenience,” he said.
He directed the Ministries of Health, local government and Infrastructure and housing to establish community health facilities at big markets and bus stations countrywide as doing so would enable more people access the much needed health services.
And President Lungu who has bemoaned the high incidence of Non Communicable Diseases in the nation has also directed the Minister of Health, Hon. Chitalu Chilufya to ensure that more community health facilities are opened to enable men access health services as they are usually reluctant to seek health services until its too late.
“Today, it is not unusual for men to present in our clinics and hospitals with advanced Communicable and non communicable diseases. We cannot allow this to continue,” he said.
He took time to urge the corporate world and other cooperating partners to partner with the Ministry of Health in ensuring that health services are taken to households, work places, places of worship and trading places among others.
He commended the Ministry of Health and the Marketeers Credit Association, the Commuters Rights Association of Zambia and the Organized Vendors and traders association for supporting the initiative.
He works very vey hard does president Lungu.
We are so lucky
Thanks
BB2014,2016
I think his efforts are misplaced. The economy and debt needs doubled up effort. Dr Chilufya should have probably done this while ECL should be seen attending to issues at a more long term strategic level
ECL is supposed to be doing the job he was voted for – i.e. to be a President. He is never in his office to plan, think through important national and strategic issues but all we see is him criss crossing the country doing things that can be done by low executive team members.
Ba Edgar doesn’t trust in that blood pressure machine, he believes the ones in South Africa more accurate.
You are so lucky,really ? Are you really sure ECL works hard ? This is all politics and fear for 2021.It is all stage -managed to fool simple minded people or loyalists like you Mushota. If he was working hard Inonge Wina should not have been flown to S.Africa.The public health system in Zambia is just good for dying citizens.
On the contrary, we are very ashamed for luck of direction by the highest office including the lack of professionalism by his cohorts. What he has launched have already being done at health establishments. The moneys in a struggling economy could have been channelled thru hospitals and health centres instead of reinventing the wheel. This is a waste meagre financial resources.
God Bless Zambia.
#1.5 typo: lack.
HapHazard policies with no vision…why can’t you leave such matters to your ministers…moving everywhere at great expense with his fooooolish smiling adviser Freedom Sikazwe!!
“He directed the Ministries of Health, local government…. to establish community health facilities at big markets and bus stations countrywide as doing so would enable more people access the much needed health services.”
This lazy bum is truly of of touch…where are they going to get the money for this when civil servants are not paid on time…get serious man you are not running a katemba!!
Yes he works very very hardly, swine. He is a blood thirsty satan. Let him call his VP 78 years old useless lady to die in Zambia. The money saved that he is wasting sending her to India and South Africa could have easily saved 1000 lives. Lungu is a swine, he deserves to be on the dining table of Satan
come to Zambia you fool ugly woman living with your ugly oldy in Scotland. come and die in Zambia for lack of clean water, lack of medicine and in most case going without food for days.
You are your swine Piglet in Statehouse!
Margaret, was this budgeted for? Or is the President going to fund it from his Presidential Empowerment funds? By the way, what is the amount allocated to this presidential fund? Is it unlimited like ukutapapo fye? Is it also un budgeted?
What about those other huge donations by the President and some of his ministers like foreign affairs make day in and day out, what is the source of funds? Tax payers? Personal funds? Surely these officers are not that rich, since when? If the funds are donations from well wishers can the funds be declared and accounted for please? Short of that it is a recipe for bribery and corruption, as they say “there is nothing for nothing” you know some of the corporate world. The Americans were not foolish to have these checks on their political leadership…
By the way, what is Freedom Sikazwe used for which we don’t see with our naked eyes? Surely the comedy acts that we see, or acting like a presidential tail, is not his job description. Assuming he has a job description, shouldn’t he sit in his office and plan presidential matters? If the President is everywhere as he is, what time does presidential affairs minister work?
E Sangoma waba Mwine!!
Is Sikazwe mentally handicapped, he always laughs like ichipuba or iuule.
#SkyLab are perfectly corrected that exercise had handled by the PS . Now somebody is saying thats hard work. He is suppose to focus on turning round the economic direction. For instance,if you start bleeding through nose ,can you starting cutting nails because you want to be smart looking. Find ways to stop the bleeding and then seek medical attention from the expert in this the doctors,clinic officers or nurses. When you resolve this then start cutting nails in relaxed atmosphere. The Zambian economy is both bleeding and limping heavily. Starting working stabilizing the political situation and revisit the economic policies. The macroeconomic and monetary policies should start attracting both domestic and foreign investments.
This will create jobs in return,reduce inflation and cost of living.
If such comments will be ignore the situation will be worse for the next ten years as long as PF government moving in this direction. I predicted in 2016,but am using the term ‘IF’. How come other African countries are managing . Do say we want to Dismantle HH and UPND no ,people are concerned with their welfare not HH and UPND .People are mentioning UPND because poverty ,if poverty resolved,unemployed,improve in standard of living and health issues
We have a serious problem indeed.
A petty President!
Let’s be serious bane how does a CEO of a company do company stationary stock taking and ignore or be less involved in strategy policy and company direction ?
These Tuntemba projects will not sort out our mammoth fiscal and monetary challenges.
Very happy with the message, all the best. I love it , bless.
Why should the onset of diabetes, High or low BP, VD, HIV, Obesity etc be detected (at Clinic) when its already late, and at great cost?
This is the first of its kind in Africa.
Kudos to the President.
He is the president of launches.
Why is Inonge Wina in S.Africa ?
He is implying that the Health strategists have failed; that the social security and welfare strategists have failed, and that now it is time for him and his giggling clown to direct the ship very specifically at that level. Guys, what did we do to deserve this kansi? Isn’t there an end to punishment ushe?
this is a milestone in addressing primary healthcare needs of the urban population.
Don’t be an 1d01t. as much as the project is necessary is it at presidential level to launch??? Are you saying he should commission every toilet block constructed?? He is the president!!
there is more to be done in markets including the provision of decent toilets. I’m an old fashioned MD who trusts manual blood pressure machines the mercury type and the aneroid type because of the human touch. the nurse who measured H.E BP could have been so proud to have felt the pulses and touched his arm and placed the stethoscope on the cubital fossa. its such a great feeling. no stigma.
Kwacha at 13 and clueless presido wasting little money left on useless trips around the globe.