High GBV rates in Northern Province worrying

The Natwampane Prevent Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Project has bemoaned the high rates of the scourge in Northern Province.

Natwampane Prevent SGBV Team leader for Northern, Annie Sampa says the province has since the launch of the programme in 2020 recorded over 21,000 cases of SGBV and child protection.

Ms Sampa explained that the majority of these recorded cases relate to SGBV.

‘’The majority of these cases are SGBV which accounts to 19,000 cases; the rest are child protection in the 12 districts that Natwampane is covering,” she said.

She added that the problem of SGBV in the province is huge and urged the government to help support the fight.

“That is why we need the government to come on board and help us protect the children, women and even the men that are abused” she said.

Ms Sampa said this when she led Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Bernard Mpundu in the familiarisation tour of the one stop center housed at Mungwi District Hospital.

Meanwhile, Mr Mpundu has praised the contributions of the one stop centre and the Natwampane project in the fight against SGBV cases in the province.

Mr Mpundu said the project has provided facilities at its one-stop centres where people are provided with different services such as counselling, medical services and others.

“It is an important center which is helping to mitigate gender-based violence. The services provided are helping the community to receive counselling, medical care and that the law applies accordingly to the perpetrators,” he said.

He also commended the setup of the centres where all services from counselling, medical services and police are provided under the same umbrella.

The Provincial Permanent Secretary also visited the Mbala One stop centre at Mbala General Hospital and checked on a sports team in Mbala where players were equipped with messages to help fight SGBV.

A medical officer at Mbala One Stop Centre, Henry Mwamba explained that the center records different cases ranging from defilement, rape and failure to financially support one’s family.

Dr Mwamba stated that many people go to the center to report cases where a bread winner fails to provide support to the family after marrying second or more wives.

He however explained that the center is providing holistic services to all types of victims from counselling, medical services and other support from the police.

The Natwampane Prevent SGBV is a European Union funded programme that is spearheaded by World Vision Zambia and is aimed at combating the vice.

The project which was launched in 2020 is operating in all the 12 districts of Northern Province.