The Zambia Association for
Persons with Disability (ZAPD) has joined the Youth Vision Zambia (YVZ) in
commending Global Fund for giving Zambia K500 billion for HIV and AIDS
programmes.
ZAPD secretary for Social
Affairs, Clement Chanda, however, urged the Churches Health Association of
Zambia (CHAZ) to disburse the money fairly so that ZAPD members, who are faced
with HIV and AIDS challenges benefit from the fund.
Mr Chanda said CHAZ, having been
picked to disburse the money, had a duty to include the disabled persons in its
register of beneficiaries, saying in the past the disabled had not benefited
from such services.
He stressed that US$102 million
was plenty of money that should be shared equally among those in
need.
He further urged CHAZ to come up
with brochures in Braille explaining how the association intends to spend the
money so that the visually impaired persons could read and learn for themselves
how the disbursement will be.
Mr Chanda complained that the
disabled, especially those in rural areas, have missed a lot in terms of
information about such programs and as a result, only the able-bodied persons
end up being serviced.
He said it is important that CHAZ
works out modalities that will ensure all communities moved at the same level
by servicing the disabled persons in the quest to fight the HIV and AIDS
pandemic.
“The challenge is really on CHAZ.
The association should help out the disabled because we have a lot of them that
need financial assistance to take their orphaned children to school,’’ he said.
The Global Fund gave US$102
million grant to Zambia for the HIV and AIDS programmes which Health Minister,
Joseph Kasonde, said Zambia was privileged to have been a recipient of the
grant since inceptions in 2002.
ZANIS
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