A team of Nine (9) Zambian medical doctors are part of the on-going Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with an objective of improving efficient management of hospitals and health centers across the country.
The knowledge and Co-creation Programme (KCCP) aims to transmit Japanese strengths to developing countries as well as to enhance further co-learning among participating countries including Japan.
JICA strives to proactively deliver Japanese experiences and approaches and to contribute to international discussions and knowledge transfer.
And JICA Senior Director Africa Division Akutsu Kentaro stated that JICA will continue to support the growth of the Zambian health sector.
Mr Kentaro explained that the JICA Knowledge co-creation program is one way in which Japan supports the training of skilled health personnel.
“The program will enable increased efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of quality health services,” he said
Mr Kentaro noted that this when he paid a courtesy call on the Charge d’ Affaires at the Zambian Embassy in Tokyo today.
And speaking on behalf of the Doctors, Lusaka Provincial Health Director Dr Mwale Consity explained that the programme will strengthen the management capacity to provide quality service delivery in the upgraded hospitals.
“The health services here are very advanced and we have been amazed at how much we have learnt so far. They are focusing on giving us a comprehensive view of how they run their health services and they have taken through on how they run their key health systems that help us to provide quality health systems,” he said
Dr. Mwale noted that the programme will strengthen hospitals and contribute to the government’s vision of providing universal health coverage.
Meanwhile, Charge d’ Affaires at the Zambian Embassy in Tokyo Mr Awa Lubundi commended JICA for the many projects that are currently being implemented in various sectors of the country’s economy.
Mr Lubundi said that the health sector is very critical to the development of the country.
He expressed gratitude to JICA for implementing projects that have direct impact on the Zambian people.
The KCCP programme covers a wide variety of subjects such as cutting-edge science and technology, hospital management and local systems with a view of meeting various needs of developing countries.
The KCCP also endeavors to help respond to diversified national, global development challenges and promote more collaboration with other development partners.
The Knowledge Co-Creation (KCCP) short term programme runs from the 11th to the 25th of January, 2023.
JICA’s Knowledge Co-Creation Programs are a form of technical cooperation that JICA carries out in Japan. Some of the knowledge that Japanese society has accumulated, including its background in areas such as organizational know-how and social systems, can only be understood through first-hand experience. The programs are an important means of technical cooperation which supports human resource development and resolving issues in developing countries
The KCCP for Young Leaders is a cooperative program, aimed at human resource development for future generations, designed to provide basic programs to young people from developing countries in Asia, Africa, South America, Pacific regions and the Middle East. Participants in the program learn about Japan’s experience and technologies in the specialized fields that will be required for the future development of their own country.
JICA’s involvement in KCCP for Young Leaders began with the launch of its Youth Invitation Program in 1984. Through this program, young people in developing countries who would go on to play an active role in the development of their home countries were invited to Japan in order to deepen their insights through the understanding of Japan and lectures of their own field, and to deepen mutual understanding through an exchange with Japanese youths of the same generation. At first, the program was open only to ASEAN countries. Now, as the number of countries participating in the program increases, the program is open to the countries in Asia, Pacific regions, Africa, Central Asia, Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 2007, the program was reorganized and re-launched as “KCCP for Young Leaders” with an emphasis on the acquisition of the specific knowledge required to resolve issues arising in the development of the participating countries.
This is good, especially given most of the doctors in Zambia are locally trained and have never known it any other way as regards practice. Seeing is believing!