INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT KEY TO GOOD HEALTH - SIMBAO

Kapembwa Simbao

Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao says infrastructure development is key in improving access to health services.

Mr. SIMBAO said government has thus put in place several interventions to mitigate the challenges impacting negatively on maternal and child health, including building of health centers and providing quality health workers.

He said infrastructure development was also a means to achieving the Vision 2030 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr. Simbao said this in a speech read for him by Petauke District Commissioner Jacob Mwanza during the handing over of SASU Rural Health Center and Maternity wing to government by World Vision Zambia.

He said despite various interventions that government had put in place, the need for accessible quality health care services was still high in the country.

Mr. Simbao pointed out that community members especially women and children faced numerous challenges including long distances to the nearest health centers, inadequate health supplies and lack of qualified health personnel in most rural health centers.

He said government was happy that World Vision with their health programmes have partnered with government to address the challenges that have continued to create a significant constraint to social and economic development.

And World Vision Zambia National Director, Micheal Vietenhans has said that a total of 6000 people including 850 under five children are expected to benefit from the clinic.

Mr. Vietenhans was speaking in a speech read on his behalf by World Vision Operations Director James Mutupa Mateyo.

 Mr. Vietenhans said World Vision as a child focused organization viewed the well-being of children in a holistic manner to ensure that programmes implemented had a meaningful impact on the children’s lives and that of their families.

He said World Vision would therefore remain committed to making health services accessible through infrastructure development, provision of health equipment and supplies for the benefit of the vulnerable communities who were unable to access health services.
ZANIS