Zambia

Presidential Press Release

moses — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:04:04 +0200

It is of great honour to be in contacts with the union members we just thank God who has enabled it. Firstly I thank God who enabled us all to coverge for the surmmittes both at Rodese Univesity Makana Municipality Grahamstown city and Summerstone Port-Elizabeth city all in Eastern Cape about 800km south of J'burg.

Most importantly I thank all the union members who converged for they made it a succusses the attendace of DCI Highway Africa and CJA, CJA organizers, funders HIVOS group of SouthAfrica, the Rodese University for its great reception, Makana Municipality for its comeness and coolness and all the good time.

I specially observe the chief host and major organizer the Highway Africa for the purely African welcome and excitement that was exihibited all through our stay, also the Rodese University for its hospitable students who made us be at home away from home due to the extreme care and behaviour exihibited. The entire crew of cheaufers by their patience, the caterers played a great role, and the entertainers and the whole Zambian Delgation by their great dancing that welcomed everybody into twisting.

Union members I just say thank you for that union spiritthat was exihibited for these are issues of pertinent nature the topics, skills if we properly utilize them Africa and our respective regions will have a great future. And we can still devise ways of involving our opinion leaders and our communities to urderstand our pertinent concerns.

I give specail recognition for the Director Highway Africa who was there to see us off in the rains of wednesday as we left for Port Elizabeth we thank you.

Union President

Mwangu Moses May God Bless us and uphold us in Jesus mighty name Amen

The Power of Sustainable Values

Daniel — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:58:58 +0200

The former Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, stated in 1937, “For any government deliberately to deny to their people what must be their plainest and simplest right (to live in peace and happiness without the nightmare of war) would be to betray their trust and call down upon their heads the condemnation of all mankind.” He further stated, “I do not believe that such a government anywhere exists among civilized peoples. I am convinced that the aim of every statesman worthy of the name, to whatever country he belongs, must be the happiness of the people for whom and to whom he is responsible.”

Recently the Commissioners attending the National Constitutional Conference adopted a clause that will exclude citizens without an education degree from entering the presidential elections. Soon, Zambia will have a constitution that will ban up to 99% of Zambians from aspiring to the presidency. When you bear in mind other considerations such as tribal, money, and age issues, those capable of pursuing the presidency diminishes to less than 1% of the population.

Mr Chamberlain was wrong. There are such governments and statesmen who are guided by values that state, 'do whatever the situation will allow, no matter the wider interests of your people'. These actions are driven by situational values. The Commissioners’ thinking is short-term because their reasoning is that they will be there only for a short time and after that they will be gone.

What our nation lacks is the ability to identify people who are inspired by sustainable values. Sustainable values state that we will always be here; therefore, we must work in ways that sustain and facilitate for every living Zambian and future generations the means to pursue their happiness. Sustainable values dictate that we must level the political field for all citizens. With a level political playing ground, Zambians will have the ability to choose leaders they deserve – leaders who have character that is produced by their level of virtue and who reflect this in the ethics by which they live. Unfortunately, the trajectory of Zambia continues to be driven by those operating with situational values; therefore, our political field becomes increasingly catered towards those with power and opportunity.

Jesus' prayer in John 17 for the disciples and future Christians gives us a powerful example of a leader who is inspired by sustainable values. His prayer was not only for the disciples living then, but also for all of us who will believe in Him for generations to come. He prayed that we be unified and protected from the evil one while being people of character. Today, as a result of Christ’s prayer, Christians around the world are unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s love.

The real power to change the world for good does not lie in leaders who are inspired by situational values, but by those inspired by sustainable values. Jesus prayed that the disciples not be taken out of the world, but they be sent out into the world. Our prayer should be that those the Lord has given you to disciple are sent into the world with a vision of sustainable values. If you are not praying this way then Zambia will continue to have leaders with a mindset dominated by situational values. May the Lord help his church in Zambia to send his disciples to serve in every sphere of life in our nation so that we are led by men and women bound to sustainable values.

We The People

Daniel — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:17:44 +0200

The debate of 50%+1 currently before National Constitutional Conference (NCC) is one of the most regretful moments of this constitution making process. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of whether this nation shall have a constitution that begins with “We the people” or “We the government in power.”

The magnitude of this subject demands that the commissioners quickly go back to the people they are representing to hear their views.   NCC commissioner Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo, in supporting the clause, stated that as a member of the Constitution Review Commission she had moved around the country and heard people call for a 50%+1 threshold. “I therefore support this clause because this is my opportunity to give Zambians what they have always wanted.” (Post, 15 Jan)

Chieftainess Mukamambo understands that if we are to create a new constitution that will shape Zambia’s destiny as a beacon of shalom to the world, it will need a government that derives its just powers from the consent of the governed.   The chief’s statement is significant in two ways. First, she is cleverly saying that in her position as chief she is not a master but a servant of her people. When last did you hear a commissioner say that he or she must represent the views of the Zambian people who sent them? WOW!

The failure to appreciate the fact that ordinary Zambians are intelligent lies at the heart of Zambia’s political and economic backwardness and the reluctance of the commissioners to listen to the people. This could be the beginning of a new Zambia where government and traditional chiefs facilitate for the people who try on their own to invent solutions to their village and nation’s problems.    

Second, by her statement, the chief has sacrificed the treasures of this world that may have been accrued to her if she sided with the government by not supporting the adoption of the clause. The earthly blessings would have included praises and increased status from the government. The chief, by her decision to serve the majority of Zambians who want the clause to be adopted has chosen to give up her personal freedom, status, and maybe wealth. She may even pay the price of development support for her village.

The chief has decided that giving the Zambian people the “We the People” constitution is worth the sacrifice.   As Christians we know that we are called to sacrifice the treasures of the world in order to point people to the cross. This sacrifice may require that we endure torture, mocking, humiliation, and even at times an excruciating death. However, Christians are called to acts of compassion, justice, and generosity. To do the work of justice may require political actions that serve to influence good in society.

Please pray for Christian commissioners on the NCC that they serve as an influence for coming up with a constitution that shall not compromise Christian virtues but will also ensure that the preamble “We the People” makes sense to every Zambian. 

The Relevance and Credibility of the Declaration of Zambia as Christian Nation

Daniel — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:00:17 +0200

The 29th December 2009 marked 18 years of Zambia as Christian Nation. Consequently, it was a shock to me when President Rupiah Banda challenged the church to unveil and explain clearly what the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation entails, so that the general populace can clearly understand it.

I was shocked because it is the current President’s government that declared Zambia a Christian Nation when it came into power in 1991. It was his government that also ensured that the declaration was enshrined in the Republican constitution a few years later. His party (the MMD) has also assured the nation that it will preserve the declaration in the constitution that is currently being drafted.

Constitutionally we are a “Christian Republic of Zambia” and therefore it shall be required for every sitting President to uphold and explain clearly the meaning of a Christian nation whether he is at Mfuwe or at the UN in New York.

Thailand is a Buddhist country. It would be impossible to have a President in Thailand who is ignorant of what are Buddhists beliefs. Imagine India with a President who cannot explain Hindu beliefs. Or can you just imagine in your wildest ideas having a President in the Islamic Republic of Iran who does not declare, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.” The President must not pass the buck. He must be the first to explain the core values that define us as a Christian nation.

However, the President is right in challenging Christians to impact our communities, nation and our world with the gospel by deeds and word. Therefore, it was sad to watch on television and see the small number of people who attended the church service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross to mark the eighteenth anniversary celebration of declaring Zambia as a Christian Nation. What I saw does not demonstrate that we believe in what we have declared.

No leader from any of the three Christian mother bodies was represented at this gathering. One would have thought that on this day there would be joyous celebrations equivalent to those the Jews held as they remembered how God delivered them from slavery. On this day Zambian Christians should be holding festivals depicting how they shall celebrate when they shall enter the physical presence of the Kings of kings.

Unless the church is mobilized to appreciate that the declaration is meant to inspire and motivate Christians and to align them with God's mission to change their communities, the general populace will question the relevance and the credibility of the declaration. Until the government's leaders and opposition political leaders are able to explain why Zambia is a Christian nation, the general populace will think that the politicians are using the declaration to advance their political fortunes.

The relevance and credibility of the declaration are at stake. Which political party leader is ready to die for it? Which Christian leader is ready to die for it?

Fenale Genital Manipulation

Khama — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:11:00 +0200

It is a practice that has rarely been written or talked about, but female genital elongation is real. It has been practiced in most parts of central Africa. What is this practice and why?

This is a practice that girls as young as 10 and above are advised to adopt. Mrs Elizabeth Zulu is an “alangizi” -- a traditional marriage counselor. She explained that by the use of fingers the girls are taught to pull parts of their genital for a certain period of time. The genitals, especially the labia, lengthen.

The main reason they are taught is this, is that they should not have problems during childbirth and of course to ensure that their husbands enjoy sex. It is believed men feel better when women have undergone this practice.

Said Mrs. Zulu, a farmer in the eastern part of Lusaka, Zambia: “This system was practiced by our foremothers so I see nothing wrong with it and it is safe.” In an interview with Dr Selia Nganjo, a gynecologist at St John's hospital in Lusaka, she explained that she has come across a lot of these women during her career and that she has not noticed any complications among the child bearing women.

She says the practice is safe compared to the genital mutilation practiced in some parts of east Africa, where she worked for over five years. She has also heard that it is good for men.
Why has traditional society believed in men’s satisfaction only and not women's? Don’t African women require having sexual satisfaction too? Mrs Zulu believes it is not good for a woman to show that she is enjoying it, and that men are the ones who usually ask for it first.

She further explained that girls use caster plant seeds which are burnt and ground to powder then the powder is placed between the fingers to pull the labia. Others are advised to smoke some tree leaves. Once they cough, the labia grows longer. She said tradition believes the female genital organ is like a house, and a house without curtains or doors is not safe and complete.

One 17 year old narrated her ordeal: “My mother took me to see some elderly women when I became of age -- I was 12 years at that time." They taught me a lot of things. One of them was the pulling my genitals. They explained to me that it was going to be safe during childbirth. She pulled her labia for five months and during the time she noticed that her private parts had grown longer.
While this practice is common in Central Africa, it remains to be seen whether this custom will continue.

Coffin chaos at Chisokone Market

Lukondebrian — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:19:42 +0200

There was pandemonium at Chisokone Market in Kitwe this morning, when the coffin of a dead man was brought to the office of the association called Zanama (Zambia National Marketeers Association). 
Mourners from Kitwe Central Hospital’s mortuary carried the coffin of a dead man shoulder high, and headed for Zanama office at Chisokone market in protest against the Association, which they claimed was responsible for the man’s death after he was beaten by the so-called security neighborhood watch.

Marketeers and other traders had a tough time in trying to secure their properties as they saw a mob entering the market, while customers were also amused and scampered to safety.  The coffin was taken to Zanama's office in order for them to decide where to take it, since it was believed that they were the ones that murdered the young man who was a Kaponya (someone who sells carrier bags and help people carry heavy things).

 The Zanama office was left burnt to ashes along with some neighboring stores. Meanwhile the police had to intercept and got hold of the coffin, which was later taken to the civic centre, where burial arrangements were made.

It was discovered that the security neighborhood watch got hold of this man and took him to the same office where he was beaten to death. After realizing the man could not respond in any way he was rushed to the hospital and was certified dead. 

Three of the security personnel were arrested and have since been taken to Kamfinsa Prison waiting to appear before the courts of law.

Zanama president Mr. Elvis Nkandu, acknowledged that the beating was done and the culprits had been booked. Then he was quick to claim that the whole incident of storming the market with the coffin was engineered by at faction called Zatma, which also operates at the same market. According to Mr Nkandu, Zatma does not have support of the majority.

He accused Zatma members of trying to fight Zanama in any way possible so that they can get more support from the maketeers.

The mother of the deceased who came from Serenje clad in a church uniform could not comment, and efforts to get comments from Zatma members, police and the council proved futile -- the phones were not reachable. 

Community News

Call to Compassion

Daniel — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:02:12 +0200

Many charismatic and evangelical Christians are motivated by a deep care and concern for justice and righteousness, but it is not readily apparent to much of the church and public. Confronted with the challenges of AIDS, orphans, unemployment, poverty, homeless children and widows one would think that the presence of the church in these activities would be very visible. This is not the case in many instances.

In the last four years Jubilee Centre has been part of the team of the district planning committee of World AIDS Day (WAD) in Ndola. What has been most appalling about WAD has been the tangible absence of the charismatic and evangelical Christians' participation in this activity. It is like AIDS has spared the church. Even if AIDS has spared the church, the church should be justified to reach out because of its deep love, care and concern for those affected. But the church has not been spared.

The evangelical and charismatic churches must demonstrate that they are legitimately concerned with these issues that families are struggling with in their everyday life. When our message is not perceived as firmly rooted in a foundation of love and compassion, we lack the moral authority to provide vision for our nation. Communities in low-income areas will support the church’s voice on the characteristics of political leadership needed for our nation when the church demonstrates a self-sacrificing commitment to serving our communities in need.

As it is, the public perception of the church’s concern for people in need is that Christians are largely in the work of compassion for personal benefits or own political agenda rather than uplifting the lives of the orphans or people living with AIDS.

For people in need to see that we are truly concerned about their misery and suffering, we must do something more than the obvious of giving food, blankets, mosquito nets, and preaching breakthrough messages. We must deal with the root of the problem. Those who deal with root problem are extremely discontented over a particular social evil and will be satisfied only when the root cause is corrected. This may mean lobbying or advocating for government funds, local and foreign, to meet education needs and to address environment issues. It may also mean motivating the churches to give to these needs. It may also mean organizing church members to lobby the government to change laws that are unjust or exploitative. If all these do not work, we may organize the community to change their members of parliament or the president.

Jesus is a perfect example of the sacrifice required to address the root problem of peoples’ needs. As we remember the needy and provide them with food and blankets, may we also be aware that Christ is also calling us to address the root cause of the problem. That is what He came to do when He left heaven.

Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year!!!

Corn And Rice Fertilised

Khama — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:31:10 +0200

Conservation farming was the main stay of rural and urban dwellers before the introduction of chemical fertilizer and herbicides as well as GMOs genetically modified organisms. The Bible in Genesis tells us of one Adam in the Garden of Eden. He grew almost everything without chemicals and crops thrived and bore fruits. Then the bible advised us to go out and multiply. As the population grew with time, over billion Chinese and Indians, hundreds of millions in Africa, the quest for more food could not be over emphasized.

Different type of seeds like corn and rice were mass produced to feed millions. Fertilizers and herbicides were introduced to quicken growth of the widely used crops. The advent of hybrids and fertilizers were a panacea to avert words worst hunger, especially in South America, Asia and Africa. Several Governments were given grants and loans to procure the now dubbed chemical fertilizer rush. Several years down the road fertilizers and GMOs hybrids could still not manage to feed the world. The effects of fertilizer chemicals have had on people are well documented. Soils have been destroyed due to excessive use of the chemical. The climate change with extreme heat and cold in areas where things were normal, these chemicals are part of the contributing factor. Despite the damage to our soils and water, Governments in Africa and Zambia in particular are promoting the use of fertilizers, herbicides and they provide grants to small scale farmers and peasant farmers to acquire fertilizers. Despite such huge investments corn and rice is forever in short supply

Compelling and Captivating Vision

Daniel — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:46:12 +0200

In the book of Acts we see Jesus communicating a compelling and captivating vision that will direct his followers in their mission. He begins by commanding them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. Upon hearing these words the apostles ask a critical question, “Lord will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?

The apostles asked because they were ardent students of the Old Testament and therefore, they were able to connect the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus had promised, with the coming of the kingdom that Ezekiel 36 and Joel 2 foretold. The people were expecting a political leader who would set up an earthly kingdom and get rid of Roman domination, persecution, and oppression.

The challenge that Christians faced at that time is similar to what is being faced by African Christians today. We too are being dominated by political elites who have entrenched their positions of privilege and who have neglected the welfare of the majority of the people.

The apostles' expectation of a literal, earthly kingdom was consistent with what Jesus taught. However, Jesus in his teaching showed that His kingdom would not take this form right away. First, he would go away for a while, and his followers would need to be faithful, hard-working, and complimentary in doing the work of the Lord during his absence. Upon His return, Jesus would inaugurate a kingdom more powerful and just than anything they could expect. The exact time of His return, however, remains unrevealed. He reminded them that it was not for them to know the times and seasons when the kingdom of Israel would be restored.

Jesus’ response to the apostle’s question was that the mission of spreading the gospel was the major reason for baptism in the Holy Spirit. His vision of reaching the world would come through the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostles responded in obedience by proclaiming the gospel, doing well, and advancing the rule of God. Similar to the apostle’s questioning, we are today asking why is God our Father not answering our prayer that His kingdom come as it is in heaven? Jesus’ answer is the same as yesterday: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.” Just like his disciples, Jesus is instructing us to witness through the power of the Holy Spirit to people in all positions of life in our nations including politicians. Let us not allow the question of increasing African poverty cloud the answer Jesus is giving to his church today.

The plight of Africa is not only physical poverty; it is a poverty of leadership as well. With the ever growing church that is filled with men and women who are baptized in the Holy Spirit, there is no reason why we can’t have leaders in every sphere of life who are faithful, hard-working, obedient and whose aim is to serve people and to advance the kingdom of God on earth. Christian Africa is in dire need of Christian leaders in all areas of life -- witnesses who tell the truth about Jesus and who are ready to die for their faith. We must ask ourselves, “Are our church members’ activities reaching outside the walls of our church and witnessing in this manner?” When we ask again why God is not answering our prayer that his Kingdom comes, maybe we should realize that He is presently asking us the same question.

Candlelight Service

Lukondebrian — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:28:13 +0200

UNDP Country Director for Zambia, Viola Morgan, says there is a need to have strong partnerships in order to effectively fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Morgan was speaking during the candlelight service on the eve of the World Aids Day Commemoration at St Margret’s Church in Kitwe.

Director Morgan emphasised the need to have the right to be informed, and the right to take individual action, especially when vital information on HIV/AIDS is at play.

She also hailed the Zambian government for the efforts that have been put in place to facilitate access to prevention, treatment, care and support for the infected and affected. She further recommended and encouraged the press to continue the good work of educating and informing the communities at large through the media. She said candle lighting serves as an opportunity to reflect on the many strategies that are contributing to the effective implementation of HIV/ AIDS activism.

Earlier, Bishop Mwakibinga likened HIV/AIDS to a plague that is wiping out humankind. He said HIV is like a swarm of locusts, which is busy eating up the little shoots of young ones as well as the older ones. He challenged people to humble themselves so that there is reasoning together in the spirit of humanity, and to turn away from doing wrong things in the name of “lacking knowledge,” since there is enough information to share.

Bishop Mwakibinga also challenged the Church to change its attitude towards HIV that it should be exposed instead of hiding it in the name of the church and not talking about it. He noted that there are a lot of HIV/AIDS cases in the Churches, and therefore the need to campaign against HIV/AIDS through all angles of society. “One’s man’s faith is not another man’s get way,” as the saying goes. The service was attended by members from NGOs, Government line ministries, different Churches and individual residents of the city.

Global Recession Results in ART Interruptions

Mumba — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:45:39 +0200

The lives of close to two million people living with HIV infection worldwide could be under threat because of interruptions in their anti-retroviral treatment resulting from the current economic crisis, a World Bank report has revealed.

Africa will be the worst affected out of 22 countries which will face hurdles in providing antiretroviral drugs this year. The report also found that eight countries currently face antiretroviral drug shortages or other treatment disruptions.

Only one third of HIV-positive people in need of antiretroviral therapy (ART) have access to treatment in Africa. The report examined the effect of the economic crisis on 69 of the most impoverished countries worldwide, and found that 15 believed they were “highly exposed" to the risk of antiretroviral treatment interruption because of decreases in domestic and foreign funding.

According to the report, because governments are hesitant to stop treatment for HIV-positive people already receiving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), prevention programmes could be cut even more. The report found that 34 countries, which represent three-quarters of HIV-positive people worldwide, said they anticipate prevention programs aimed at high-risk groups to be negatively affected.

Joy Phumaphi, the World Bank's vice president for human development, said, "This new report shows that people with AIDS could be in danger of losing their place in the lifeboat. The global economic downturn has taken a wrecking ball to growth and development in the developing world."

The World Bank has said that requests for funding from developing countries for its current fiscal year have more than tripled, compared with one year before. Up until the end of the current fiscal year on June 30th, the World Bank expects to authorize $3.1 billion for health, compared with $1 billion during the same period last year. Jon Liden of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said, "Everybody knew that once started, a continuous supply of commodities was a lifelong pledge. We are talking about a set of global commitments that the world cannot run away from."

According to Liden, the Global Fund has commitments from government donors at least until 2011 to 2012, although he added that there could be a possible crunch for the latest ninth round of requests. Liden said that although the Global Fund might be willing to consider more rapid additional funding to help countries in filling short-term budget gaps, no such requests have been made. In addition, the Global Fund is not able to provide extra support if the funding provided allows countries to divert domestic spending to activities not related to health.

Dr Bactrin Killingo of the HIV Collaborative Fund warned that if the current cost constraints faced by HIV treatment programmes are not addressed, while the demand for expensive second-line treatment increases, we will find ourselves in a situation similar to the 90s, where millions of lives were lost unnecessarily because people could not afford the treatment they needed to stay alive.

When US President Barack Obama released his US$3.6 trillion budget on May 7th, he broke two campaign promises and created a total shortfall of US$3.3 billion in U.S. support for Global AIDS funding through U.S bilateral AIDS programs, including PEPFAR, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“President Obama also sent a message to world governments that it is acceptable to underfund global health, in particular the Global Fund,” sad Dr Zeitz, the executive director for the Global AIDS Alliance (GAA). “The Global Fund is already facing a financial gap, and this will only make it worse by setting the wrong example,” he added.

James Kamau, of the Kenya Treatment Action Movement said the people of Africa must speak out and tell President Obama, a son of Kenya, that he must meet his promises to those who are living infected and directly affected by HIV and AIDS. The Zambia based Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign (TALC), through Felix Mwanza, the Programs Manager emphasised, “It is not morally right for the US President to cut down on the U.S. global health contribution, especially on AIDS, because cutting the budget for global AIDS funding is tantamount to genocide, and President Obama shall be held accountable for deaths that will ensue.”

The Global AIDS Alliance estimates as a consequence of President Obama’s broken promises on U.S. bilateral AIDS programmes, one million people around the world won’t receive treatment for AIDS, while 2.9 million women also won’t receive services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. A total of 27 million people won’t be able to access sexual disease transmission prevention programmes, and 1.9 million orphans and other children affected by, or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, won’t receive care and support services.

Sub-Saharan Africa bears the greatest burden of disease, and has 68 percent of the world’s HIV-positive people, but only one percent of the global expenditure on health, and two percent of the global health workforce. A recent African Union report states that sub-Saharan Africa faces a grim scenario with respect to the health of its people, estimating that only seven percent of total government expenditure in the region goes to health despite the 2001 Abuja Declaration commitment to commit 15 percent of government expenditure to health.

These shortcomings were highlighted at the Conference of African Ministers of Health (CAMH) summit recently held in Addis Ababa, where the Africa Public Health Alliance submitted a petition to African Heads of State and Ministers of Health and Finance to close the US$10.7 billion funding gap for regional implementation of the Global Plan to Stop TB. The Global Fund reports that it has saved an estimated 2.5 million lives worldwide, and has disbursed 57 percent of international donor aid raised for TB, 50 percent of malaria, and 23 percent of funds for HIV/AIDS.

However, the increasingly steep trajectory of demand for Global fund grants, coupled with dwindling donor input and the global economic crisis, have resulted in the Global Fund announcing that it is at least $4 billion short of the money that it will need to continue funding essential HIV, TB and malaria services in 2010.

General

Campaign to End Pediatric AIDS Launched in Zambia

Mumba — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:41:57 +0200

Publishing statistics on the number of people living with the HIV and AIDS pandemic is important, but it tells us only part of the story. What the numbers fail to disclose, however, are the human elements of this epidemic, such as the increasing number of infants being born with HIV and dying from severe opportunistic infections before the age of five.
The impact of paediatric AIDS permeates every sector of society, yet it continues to be perceived as an issue solely for the health sector, rarely capturing the same fervour with politicians, policymakers and company directors as the current levels of crime, child abuse, violence against women, and political uncertainty.
Perhaps part of the problem is that people do not believe AIDS affecting children exists, simply because they don’t see it. This invisibility of paediatric AIDS is partly due to the stigma attached to mothers of children with this condition. Society openly offers care and support to cancer patients and those with heart disease, but when it comes to paediatric AIDS, there is a distinct lack of compassion.
According to Dr Alvaro Bermejo, the Health Director for the International Red Cross Society, an estimated 600,000 of the 900,000 children born last year with HIV globally are also believed to have been infected because their mothers feared stigma and discrimination, and so did not demand appropriate medical services.
The means to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) are inexpensive and readily available in Zambia and in most countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, but many pregnant women choose not to have an HIV test, or they simply never collect the results.
To assist save the precious lives of our future generations, the United States of America based Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) has initiated the Campaign to End Pediatric AIDS (CEPA). Over the next three years, CEPA and its network partners will accelerate action to reduce the incidence of paediatric HIV/AIDS and measurably improve the delivery of treatment to children and mothers, with a focus on six African countries; Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia.
Ultimately, CEPA seeks to increase coverage rates for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT+) and paediatric treatment services from the current average of 30 to 40 percent to the globally agreed-upon target of 80 percent, and ensure high-quality services. CEPA also seeks to bring about policy reforms at the global and country level and would also serve to expand and activate in-country advocacy networks while holding governments and decision makers accountable for tangible progress toward their policy commitments.
Treatment Advocacy & Literacy Campaign (TALC) has been picked as a civil society organisation initiating partner of CEPA for Zambia, and has since held a CEPA stakeholders meeting from where several other additional partners were picked to work with TALC. These include Children In Need (CHIN), the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ) and the Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS). The four civil society organizations were recently invited to attend the CEPA Advocacy Summit that was graced in Johannesburg, South Africa by former South African First Lady, Graca Machel, who is the CEPA Matron.
CEPA’s work is based on four core objectives focused on Family-Centered Care and Nutrition; Early Infant Diagnosis and Treatment; Access to Appropriate Medications; and Full Funding to Eliminate Paediatric AIDS. The first objective would expand access to PMTCT+ and paediatric treatment, care, and support, including nutrition services, and integrate child and family services with other health services in order to improve survival rates and health outcomes for children, HIV positive mothers, and their families.
The second objective would also expand access to early infant diagnosis and earlier and improved paediatric treatment in order to improve survival rates and health outcomes for children, while the third core objective would reduce distribution barriers and increase the global supply of high-quality, low-cost lifesaving medicines for children and their families, including ARVs, drugs to treat opportunistic infections, and first and second-line regimens to ease dosing and administration.
Full funding to eliminate paediatric AIDS will secure the financial resources needed to facilitate country-level scale-up of PMTCT+ and paediatric and maternal treatment programmes.
CEPA was initiated after realising that despite international commitments to achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS services by 2010, including 80 percent coverage for PMTCT+ services, progress toward these goals remains too slow, and paediatric HIV transmission remains unacceptably high, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Ultimately, CEPA will help build an advocacy network that can help ensure ongoing monitoring and accountability as prevention and treatment programs are scaled up at the national level across Africa. In doing so, the campaign will advance an advocacy model that can be implemented in other countries and potentially replicated in other regions worldwide.
CEPA‘s partners have identified two major types of bottlenecks that must be addressed in order to ensure that PMTCT+ and paediatric HIV/AIDS programs are scaled up successfully. Implementation bottlenecks involve inadequate health care worker training; lack of or insufficient transportation systems for health care commodities; problems with procurement and supply chain management; and inadequate adoption of international and national guidelines for PMTCT+ and paediatric treatment.

Community News

Kaoma Farmers Learn How To Grow Organic Chilli

Khama — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:09:24 +0200

Eighteen small-scale farmers have been trained in the basics of chilli growing, thanks to an initiative by Keeper Zambia Foundation, an NGO in Zambia, and Lumuno Organic Farms from Chongwe, east of Lusaka.

In his opening remarks, Mr Ezra Banda the programme manager for Keeper Zambia Foundation, thanked everyone who made it possible to attend the workshop, knowing that November is planting time and that the farmers had left their fields to attend the workshop. He emphasised that when production is combined with knowledge, better quality products are produced.

Mr Banda advised the farmers to do the right thing and avoid shortcuts. “There is unlimited demand for chilli, if you do the right thing and practice what you will be taught,” he said. He further said Keeper Zambia Foundation project would like to see peoples lives change “we want your lives to change for the better concentrate on what you would do better” Mr Banda added.

During the three-day workshop, the Kaoma farmers were trained by Mr Vincent Mofya, an experienced agronomist and Mr Khama Mbewe, a practicing organic farmer. The farmers learnt the basics of organic farming, the principles of organic and sustainable farming, soil management and sources of organic matter and composting, leaf teas and pest and disease control, as well as the uses of chilli for medication, in food, and so on.

Mr Mofya commended the participants. He said in his many years as a trainee, this was the first time he had come across an attentive and expectant group who were eager to learn.

Kaoma district receives adequate rain annually, and the soils are fertile for the growing of chilli. Mrs Lydia Nkambwa, a field facilitator for Keeper Zambia said the farmers will be encouraged to grow chilli in bulk, and then they will be linked to other markets.

“It’s my first time to learn how to grow chilli organically, none have done it before in Kaoma, therefore others will learn from us,” said Miss Daphine Kabuyana, a peasant farmer of Kaoma. I am looking forward to making a lot of money after harvest, and selling the chilli. I am urging Keeper Zambia to introduce more of such projects in order for us to learn new things,” she added.

Mr Ricky Nyambe told of how he had met Malawian farmers from NASFARM. “They encouraged us Zambians to grow chilli for export, we were shown photos of their nice homes, and livestock such as goats and cattle purchased from chilli earnings. I am looking forward to growing organic chillI,” he said.

Mr Ezra Banda, the Programme Manager, added that once the Kaoma project takes off they will introduce it in other parts of Zambia’s Western Province.

It’s programmes like these that will bring money into people’s homes, and improve their livelihoods. Such efforts by the Keeper Zambia Foundation should be commended and applauded.

Zambian politics are still unstable, immature – JCTR

Daniel — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:54:39 +0200

The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has reported that the kind of politics exhibited over the last three quarters in Zambia does not truly serve the citizenry, who must be the custodians of politics.

In a statement sent to the Nairobi-based Catholic Information Service for Africa news agency (CISA), JCTR governance officer Dominic Liche said Zambian politics were still unstable and manifested immaturity to an extent of attempting to shut down all opposing views.

“Zambian politics has exhibited very interesting signs in 2009,” Liche said. “Zambian politicians seem to be validating the old adage that ‘politics is a dirty game’ and in addition, the Church has been told it has no role in politics but only to praise-sing government.”

Liche observed that 17 years after Zambia’s reversion to multi-party politics, the country’s politics and governance were still unstable and were fraught with attempts at shutting down dissent.

“These have been manifest in the recent NGO Act, banning of demonstrations over acquittals of prominent figures, criticism of the Church’s valid concerns of a lack of democracy and good governance in Zambia, and limiting freedom of the press,” Liche said.

“Politics remains that of name-calling, name-dirtying, lies, and just a dirty game to get into positions of power. One has just to read the newspapers of the day to see this. We are yet to see mature and honest politics that have people’s needs and aspirations at heart.”

Liche said despite the fact that the three church mother bodies had been instrumental in Zambia’s politics, democracy and service delivery, the Church has been told not to meddle in politics and remain in the pulpits.