Health

Zambia’s health sector is facing tough challenges. The mother and child morbidity and mortality figures are one of the worst in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although the AIDS prevalence is decreasing and includes now 14 % of all Zambians between the age of 15 -49 years, it still threatens the economic and social future of the country. Other killer diseases such as malaria, TB and intestinal diseases continue to take their toll. The response by the health sector is flawed because of inadequate numbers of trained medical staff, inadequate training facilities, hospitals, clinics and equipment, regular stock-outs of drugs and insufficient transportation facilities, such as ambulances.

The Government of Zambia formulated the National Health Strategic Plan (NHSP) 2006 -2011, to which all major donor agencies contribute, including this Embassy. Since the merger of the Central Board of Health into the Ministry of Health back in 2006, this Ministry is the main implementor of the NHSP of health services in the country, supported however by the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), which provides 50 % of Zambia’s rural health care. Quite a few national and international NGO’s provide health care services, often, limited to a particular geographical area or health theme. The private health care sector is still small, providing a limited range of sophisticated health care services. Those who can afford it, fly to South Africa to be treated there.

Zambia is signatory to quite a few international initiatives in the realm of health. The most recent one is the International Health Partnership, enthusiastically promoted by Zambia’s Minister of Health.

For more information: www.chaz.org.zm

This Embassy’s assistance

The Embassy has supported Zambia’s health care sector during the past four decades, initially mainly through the provision of Dutch medical doctors, who were working in district health centres throughout the country and later through financial support to various projects such as the District Health Basket, the Retention scheme for medical personnel and the provision of six technical experts for the provincial health directorates and for the Ministry of Health. The financial support through projects has been integrated in one large so-called Expanded Basket support programme to the Ministry of Health of € 13 million per year, for the period July 2006 – June 2011. Our support is being provided via a delegated cooperation framework with Sweden, who represents this Embassy in negotiations with the Ministry of Health and reports to us on the progress made in the implementation of our combined Expanded Basket support. For more information: www.chaz.org.zm.

The Embassy also supports the Zambia Flying Surgeons. They provide those in need of plastic surgery or orthopedic treatment help in far flung areas, where there are no surgeons. Thousands of patients have been helped by them and many more will benefit from this worthwhile initiative in the future. Our support, covering the period 2006 -2008 consists of the provision of a small aeroplane, a hangar, equipment and running costs. The funding will be taken over as of 2009 by Cordaid and other donors. For more information contact medroth@zamnet.zm, or goranjovic@zamnet.zm.