STATE PRIORITISES EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 14:24:12 +0000

By Chikumbi Katebe

GOVERNMENT has placed priority on improvement of capacity for emergency response system and disease surveillance as a prevention against catastrophes that could ravage the nation, says Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya.

Dr Chilufya said the ministry has since put in place an integrated approach that focuses on disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and response through its National Health Strategic Plan.

He was speaking at the handover of 20 vehicles and various ICT equipment with a value of close to K6 million by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with funding provided by UK’s Development Fund for International Development (DFID).

“We have embraced through the national Health Strategic Plan an integrated approach to disease surveillance.

And Dr Chilufya witnessed the WHO launch of the Country Corporation Strategy (CCS) 2017/2021 documents which resonates with Zambia’s 7th National Development Plan (7NDP) and the NHSP under the Ministry of Health.

He hailed the consistencies which support local health systems such as emphasis on enhancing primary health care as well as improvements to local expertise in healthcare service delivery at the grassroot.

WHO country representative Dr Custodia Mandlhate, reiterated the UN commitment to improving port health functionality for monitoring and surveillance of disease threats that could wipe out huge numbers of people if systems were ill-prepared.