The government has signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the HIV and AIDS elimination projects.
The MoU is aimed at strengthening the capacities of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, to improve the service outcome and reduce the incidences of HIV infection among vulnerable children, adolescents and their families.
Speaking today during the signing ceremony, Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Acting Permanent Secretary, Pamela Kabamba, stated that the USAID Adolescents and Children, HIV Incidence Reduction, Empowerment and Virus Elimination (ACHIEVE) project, will mitigate the impact of HIV in Zambia.
She indicated that the MoU will help to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children and adolescents, through the delivery of high impact, evidence based and age appropriate interventions using a child focused and family centered approach.
‘’I am delighted that the ACHIEVE project focuses on providing technical assistance, to improve performance, quality, monitoring and coordination, as well as collaboration with other partners working towards improving access to health and social protection services,’’ explained Mrs Kabamba.
‘’I am very excited with our partnership with ACHIEVE and ECAP because it creates an opportunity for vulnerable children, adolescents and their families to have access to services they require within the general social protection programming which will minimize risks and vulnerabilities,’’ she added.
Meanwhile USAID Director, for the Health-Office in Zambia, Daniel Sinclaire said the organisation is committed to work with the government and ensure that the projects are aligned with government policies and structure.
He stated that the MoU will set as a foundation for strengthening the already reboot partnership that exists between USAID and Zambia.
‘’The ACHIEVE project is aimed at strengthening Zambia’s social services at the national and targeted decentralized levels in the 26 high HIV burden districts across Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Lusaka, Northwestern and Southern Provinces,’ ’said Mr Sinclaire.
There’s no such position as Acting Permanent Secretary in the Constitution of Zambia other than the Permanent Secretary who is the Controlling Officer of the Ministry. The Auditor General’s office will have a field day auditing these Ministries without an appointed Permanent Secretary since any financial transaction signed off by these “Acting Permanent Secretary” is illegal. Why operate illegally when we have so many qualified Civil Servants to appoint from and now going to 3 months with a self inflicted vacuum created by the appointing authority – The President