Africa-Press – Zambia. A Zambian priest based in Rome Italy, has passionately appealed to the Zambian government to act decisively following the recent withdrawal of aid exceeding $50 million by the American government.
The funding cut, is primarily directed towards life-sustaining drugs like ARVs and TB, among others which will undoubtedly pose a health threat to millions of vulnerable Zambians dependent on these medications.
Fr. Martin Mwango has therefore highlighted the severe challenges faced by poor Zambians in accessing quality healthcare, exacerbated by this significant blow to the health sector which he says requires government to amicably address, both in the immediate and long term.
He says the issue at hand is not about politics, but on how millions of vulnerable Zambians will be affected by such a move, which would have been prevented if those in desicion making positions acted more responsibly and decisively on matters that border on people’s wellbeing.
“How long will this medical rot in our country’s health system persist”, Fr. Mwango questioned, expressing dismay over what he sees as a history of mismanagement in drug supply across successive governments.
He has cited the ambulance scandal,issues of expired drugs and the recent discovery of 61 abandoned containers of medical supplies , as some of the many examples of mismanagement of the country’s medical supply chain.
Fr. Mwango has since emphasized the urgent need for uninterrupted drug supply to ensure Zambians receive the care they deserve.
He has further suggested that government explores alternative funding sources such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to safeguard access to vital medications like ARVs.
“How useful are roads and infrastructure without a healthy nation”, Fr Mwango has further questioned, with a call for prioritization of health through locally generated funds as opposed to perpetual dependence on foreign aid.
He has further emphasized the need to elevate the conversation on more pressing issues such as how the country can increase the life expectancy from the current 45 through a robust health system devoid of medical supply chain lapses which have become endemic in the county’s health system.
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