Western Province Permanent Secretary, Simomo Akapelwa says the government places health as a priority for the people in the country.
Mr Akapelwa said the government has placed good health as a key investment to spur social and economic development in order to attain a prosperous middle-income country status by the year 2030.
He said the government has put in place various interventions such as risk communication and community engagement, mass vaccinations, infection prevention and control.
ZANIS reports that Mr Akapelwa said this during the 76th World Health Day commemoration under the theme “My health, my Right,” held at Mongu stadium.
Mr Akapelwa further explained that heightened disease surveillance as well as provision of clean water, sanitation and hygiene are also among the interventions that the government is implementing.
“As a country, we celebrate World Health Day under the theme, “My Health, My Right to Access Quality Health Services,”. The theme for the year longs for a campaign to champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to quality health services, education, information as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, and safe environmental conditions among other rights,” he said.
Mr Akapelwa said the government has demonstrated commitment in financing the health sector through consistent release of operational grants to the ministry of health as it strives to attain quality health services.
“The linkage and collaboration with the National Health Insurance Management (NHIMA) has improved people’s access to affordable quality health services with insurance coverage growing from 3.4 percent a few years ago to over 15 percent currently,” Mr Akapelwa said.
Mr Akapelwa further stated that Western provinces have made significant progress towards the 95-95-95 HIV control targets with 89 percent of all the people living with HIV knowing their HIV status.
And Western Province Acting Health Director, Loveday Mwila has called on the people in the region to ensure visiting nearby health facilities to check for their HIV status.
Dr Mwila said it is important for people to know their HIV status so that necessary health interventions could be put in place so that people live healthy lives.
“Your presence here at Mongu stadium is testimony that shows your commitment and your resolve to seek health care services and good health seeking behavior,” Dr Mwila stated.
Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Commission Senior Investigations Officer In-charge of Education and Counselling, Chilambe Masangu said the statistics of Western province shows that there are many young people involved in drug abuse.
“This day is important to us the Drug Enforcement Commission as we are able to interact and explain what we do in ensuring young people don’t indulge themselves in drug abuse and free services of counselling. We have noticed that people fear to approach us but here we are busy talking about what we do,” Ms Masangu said.
She however, appealed to people in the province who are in the habit of using drugs to desist from such actions so that the province can have productive citizens.
