Government has commended Caritas Kasama, a Catholic Faith Based Organisation for its positive contribution in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Northern Province.
Northern Province Permanent Secretary Mwalimu Simfukwe observed that Caritas Kasama through its Home Base Care programme has been in the forefront in supplementing Government efforts of alleviating the suffering of people infected by HIV.
He was speaking in Kasama yesterday during a Work Exhibition and Gallery Walk at Moto Moto Pastoral centre organized by Archdiocese of Kasama Home based programme.
Mr. Simfukwe noted that it was evident from the work that the Archdiocese of Kasama was doing through Caritas Kasama that the role of the Government and the Church can never be separated.
He has since called for a strong partnership between the Government and the Church if the country is to attain greater heights.
Mr. Simfukwe said the fight against HIV/AIDS required a multi sectoral response from all stakeholders if it was to be won.
He expressed happiness that Caritas Kasama has established links with other stakeholders in its efforts to reach the community with messages on Counseling and Testing which he described as cardinal in the fight against the pandemic.
Caritas Kasama Director Fr. Nicholas Kaliminwa said the Catholic Church was committed to partnering with Government in the fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Fr. Kaliminwa said the church’s involvement in the Home Based Care programme which started about 12 years ago in Ndola Diocese followed a realization that most bed space in hospitals were taken by AIDS patients.
He said through the home based care programme the church was trying to ensure that people infected with HIV were looked after in their homes where they can also receive love.
Fr. Kaliminwa revealed that the Archdiocese of Kasama was running 18 Home Based Care sites in eight Districts in Northern Province.
He said the Archdiocese of Kasama was the only Diocese in Zambia running a home based care programme in prisons.
The home based care programme has over 2,500 clients with 900 on Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART).
ENDS/HM/AM/ZANIS
Please Ba ZANIS give us issues related to “positive contribution in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Northern Province” by caritas.
Your story is EVENT and NOT issues based.
Tell us how many HIV/AIDS patients have been helped, how their life has been transformed by the work of the church, what materials, service contribution the church has done!
God bless the Catholic church for their help to poor people world wide.
It is important to bear in mind that for the church to provide the services which they are now being commended for by government, they need funds, which they should normally collect through contributions from its members. But the same government condemns them whenever they criticise its failing policies and labels them as being political. Government needs to realise that If church members have no jobs, they have no income to support the work of the church. Therefore government should face the realities squarely and accept criticism. When unemployment in the country is very high, families break, malnutrition rises, prostitution increases, resulting in the rise in sexually transmitted disease which in turn increases the risk of HIV transmission. Hunger also lowers the natural immunity.
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