Chinese Minster of National Health and Family Planning Commission Dr Li Bin (left) speaking during the bilateral meeting with Zambian counterpart Dr. Chitalu Chilufya in Beijing, China. Picture By Stanslious Ngosa.
By
NDUBI MVULA, Lusaka
THE news that the Chinese Government
intend to construct a dedicated National Public Health Laboratory in Zambia
that will serve both as a national and Southern African regional
reference laboratory, is no mean achievement in sofaras upgrading the
health sector is concerned.
This gesture of the multi-million
facility will enhance the detection of high risk pathogens (infections) using modern techniques.
Zambia’s Minister of Health Dr Chitalu
Chilufya was in Beijing, China where he held bilateral health cooperating
meetings with his counterpart Dr. Li Bin who is Chinese Minister of National
Health and Family Planning Commission.
Dr Li said establishing the National
Public Health Laboratory will serve as reference facility for the Africa
CDC Southern Africa Regional Collaborating Centre.
She believes that close collaboration
between the two countries will assist the building of Africa CDC and
strengthen African countries capacity for public health services.
Dr Li said a strong public health workforce
is critical to the Institute’s ability to achieve its mission and meet the
public health needs of the Zambian population; therefore, China will also
assist in capacity building for both short and long term through training
health professionals and Scientists at Masters and PhD levels.
She said China will provide experts to
work with Zambian counterparts over a period of time to transfer skills
and knowledge to technical staff at the National Public Health
Institute.
Dr Li said China will also help Zambia
attain one of her legacy goals of eliminating Malaria by 2030.
According to Head Communications &
External Relations at the Ministry of Health Stanslous Ngosa, Dr Li said
China will provide the expertise to fight malaria, as doing so will further enhance
the bilateral health cooperation between the two countries.
And Dr Chilufya expressed gratitude with
the Chinese Government’s gesture to help Zambia strengthen her health
systems.
He said the gesture will cement and take
bilateral relations to another level beyond business but
brotherhood.
Dr Chilufya said the support to the
health sector will contribute to the attainment of Universal Health
Coverage.
He said capacity building in emergency
response and surgery as well as provision of surgical equipment and
supplies will significantly improve the health systems.
Dr Chilufya is happy that China is ready
to provide technical and material support in setting up a robust
Information System that will enhance effective surveillance and outbreak
response system through the construction of the laboratory.
He also thanked the Chinese for showing
interest to support various fields of nuclear science to improve
electricity supply, medical treatment, irradiation processing and
manufacturing of medical supplies among others.
Meanwhile, one of the Chinese leading
pharmaceutical companies, China Sinopharm International Corporation has
partnered with the Ministry of Health to construct the vaccines and
Medicines Company in Zambia.
The construction works will start as
soon as the technical discussions are concluded and Memorandum of
Understanding is signed.
Some of the vaccines to be produced
include yellow, bOPV, HepB (birth Dose), IPV, Sabin Strain, Rota
(3-Valent) Measles and HPV.
Mr Ngosa said a Zambian delegation led
by Zambia National Public Health Institute Director Dr Victor Mukonka, are
on a 10-day bilateral technical discussions on areas of collaboration and
cooperation with the China CDC.
“The delegation is also learning from
the Chinese experience in dealing with epidemic preparedness, response and
strengthening the surveillance systems,” he said.
Others on the delegation include Dr
Kunda Musonda Head Laboratory Systems and Networking, Dr Muzala Kapina,
Head National Surveillance and Disease Intelligence and Dr Andrew Silumesi
Director Public Health at the Ministry of Health.
The rest are Prof Aaron Mweene
University of Zambia School of Veterinary and Dr Modest Mulenga Director
Tropical Diseases Research Centre.
As Government keeps the promise and acting
on it in the provision of quality health facilities, the construction of the
multi-million dollar vaccine manufacturing plant expected to be the main and
biggest hub in the sub-region truly positions Zambia as the best destination of
choice for investment.
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