The Ministry of Health has suspended the Zambia Population-based HIV Impact Assessment survey(ZAMPHIA) until after the community is fully sensitized about the program after many people on the ground wrongly linked the program to ritual killings.
According to Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya, there will be a minimum of one month that the Ministry of Health will take to sensitize the public about the program
ZAMPHIA study, which Zambia is conducting, alongside other nations like Botswana, Malawi, Eswatini, is meant to get an idea of where Zambia stands with the HIV program.
The program has been linked to two major issues ravaging communities in Zambia, gassing and ritual killings. There are suspicions surrounding the drawing of blood for testing as most people believe the drawn blood is used in ritual killings.
Meanwhile, the ruling party in North-Western Province has accused the opposition of planting false information in the minds of the public about the ZAMPHIA study.
North Western Province Patriotic Front Chairperson, Mr Jackson Kungo said that that is rather unfortunate that Zambians are being made to shan progressive programs such ZAMPHIA because of suspicions being planted into their heads by an opposition which wants to drive the narrative of a failed government.
Mr. Kungo said that, in the past, health workers would go into schools and workplaces to ask people to donate blood to replenish the blood bank at the University Teaching Hospital, and that there was never any suspicion around such an exercise which used to be considered a noble cause.
Mr. Kungo bemoaned what he termed as the levels of desperation by the opposition who he said wanted to get into power by hook or crook to the extent of running a narrative that the ZAMPHIA study is connected to ritual killings and urged all well-meaning Zambians to frown upon misinformation if the nation is to come out of the predicament it is currently faced with.
“Fake news should not be entertained. I hope Zambians can be alert and vigilant to spot what is true and what is not from what they read on social media. Lets guard our nation jealousy from propaganda and falsehoods perpetrated by opposition political players who want to form the government even if it means seeing the nation on fire,” Mr. Kungo said.
Right decision. I can’t wait for all this confusion/hysteria surrounding the so-called “gassing” to come to an end. It should never have come this far. We are still waiting for the sate to act accordingly and restore law and order in the country. The President of the republic of Zambia must finally show who has the power. There must be no compromise with internal security and safety of citizens. No tolerance for any acts of terror!
Very embarrassing, very embarrassing indeed.
The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.
Pure chipantepante govt which is out of touch with the electorate.
No wonder the ECL is quiet.
Let them take the blood of chitalu chilufya and his family and other cabinet ministers and their families too. Ise sitifuna. We will for VCT on our own
*go for
This is a govt of foooools, ka bwalala Chilufya came back from Chilubi vote buying and unilaterally decided to start collecting blood samples door to door without even consulting the Ministry of Justice for guidance. Again because of Lungu’s ineptness no one will be fired its business as usual just like he is cowering from giving press statements about what is happening in the country.
Investigate the source where these Gassers are getting the chemical. That chemical is highly regulated check receipt books of whoever stocks these in Zambia or if they are imported check who cleared them at the borders into Zambia. If these guys are paid using Mobile money investigate which number has sent too much money within this period. Zicta should chip in by providing information on any suspicious messages linked to a particular number. The offer by Lungu is a lot if it was not someone connected to the PF behind the gassing they would have been surrendered to authority by close people to them who are greedy for money like it happened with Saddam.
Comment: Each time we go to the hospital, you force us to do HIV test. isn’t that enough that now you follow us at our homes. No ways never my vote for you. This is not right. Please respect our human rights even if we are poor and sick we deserve privacy. What have these donors given you to stop respecting patients right to privacy??
Meanwhile Kaizer is quiet.
Comment: It’s unfortunate that Zambians can be accepting the door to door blood sampling when any one comes In the name of checking sugar and HIV . Be warned every Zambian has a right to deny those door to door check without being intimidated by anyone because that is your right. U can still live without being stressed to knowing how many diseases you have so stand up to your Right and be vigilant and focused. My blood my own.
This is not good a move, Minister of health, it means now you’re forcing people for this so called blood test mean while people are testing in clinic before taking any steps,to my side I can not allow these people to come to my house,so far people are fear of these people so called (gassing people) we are in trouble because of these people but I don’t know how far this program now.
While we wait for this ritual blood collection confusion to calm down, why doesn’t Dr Chilufya start collecting blood and test for HIV with members of parliament?
The HIV hoax should end right now. It is a completely statistical construction, based on fraudulent use of data. It always was, and that became clear decades ago.