Zambia’s life expectancy has risen from 37 to 43 years, partly due to various medical interventions, Ministry of Health spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe has said.
The Ministry of Health has also made significant strides in fighting Tuberculosis (TB) in the country.
Dr Mbewe said the improvement was mainly due to the many milestones his ministry has made in fighting pandemics such as HIV and AIDS which had previously reduced the life expectancy in Zambia.
In response to a press query on Tuesday, Dr Mbewe said the infection rate of TB has drastically dropped.
“The main reason for the reduction in the TB infection rate is the introduction of the National TB Control Programme, which focuses on addressing the problem and implementation of the TB control strategy in a consistent and effective manner,” Dr Mbewe said.
He said other factors that have led to a decline in the number of TB cases, include a good monitoring and evaluation system, quality assured drugs for patient management and care as well as availability of effective treatment.
Dr Mbewe said global health initiatives such as the Global Fund have also helped to reduce the prevalence rate of TB, as more resources for treating the disease are readily available.
He also said good programme management has led to a rise in the successful treatment of TB patients which in 2000 stood at 66 percent but rose to 86 percent in 2010.
Dr Mbewe said this is because many cases were identified early and treated successfully. The transmission rate of TB has also reduced in the communities.
He said because of the current interventions the Ministry of Health has embarked on combating TB, HIV and AIDS and other related illnesses.
He however said the burden of TB is still high despite the strides made so far, adding that there is need for more efforts in dealing with TB in children and prisons.
Dr Mbewe said laboratories should be well equipped so that many TB, HIV and AIDS cases can be detected early.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
ba Mbewe…you cant predict life expectancy….what are you doing about road mishaps,mine accidents…the list is endless…only God knows and no human being can openly say blah blah blah…just talk about the medical progress you have made in the ministry of health…not life expectancy my bro!!!!!
this is scientific, not retardistic!
So now people will only die 22 years before the proposed retirement age?
good news,#2 yu cracked my ribs,as bembas wud say “yu ave clacked my libs”.
very funny my dear,am sure you like us bembas. awe yalikosa
thats even a better joke, lol
is this a SERIOUS conversation about SERIOUS things like it should?
Thanks to the former MMD government which worked honestly and very hard to achieve this milestone.People of Zambia should not expect less from these kaponyas,who visionless.Lets keep them in check.Bravo MMD ,you are been vindicated by professionals not cheap liars.
Let’s not politicise matters of life.just last year it was 37 and has risen by 6 years?????Nonsense bootlicking spokesman….what are the determinants of life expectancy…??the component of curative health is jst one…and you keep talking abt TB..what is our greatest burden of disease in Zambia iwe?do know how many KM pipo walk to access medical atention in rural areas?and u say this has changed in a year?retract this article and give us good scientific analysis of this sudden change.or you are preparing us for justification to hike the retirement age as proposed by a….
Cant understand this? So those of us who are still living after 47 years are actually dead theoretically. This is strange news that every Zambian is expected to live for 47 years only. And yet the PF Kaponyas still want the living dead to continue working even after 47 years. Zambia – the real Africa of confused theorists. Well after 47 years legalised term of living in Zambia according to Kamoto fimofimo its a matter of gate crushing into later years! Yaba!
AMbewe spreading dull news as usual. I end here!
Last time I checked (5 min. back), according to the CIA World Fact Book, life expectancy in Zambia was 52.36 years. Whereas the minister probably uses data up-dated once every 5 years hence the perceived big jump, the CIA up-dates at short regular intervals allowing for a more accurate prediction of the trends. Analyst @ 1, it’s time you changed your name – life expectancy is a statistic based on historical figures.
Does this mean all those characters in Govt masqurading as leaders are living posthumously?
yes, very!
Organisations such as UNDP and World bank put Zambia’s life expectancy at 48 years. Zambia’s own CSO puts it at 50 years. Who is right?
viva MMD
total population: 52.36 years
country comparison to the world: 207
male: 51.13 years
female: 53.63 years (2011 est.).
All these are the achievements of the past MMD government. This confirms everything I have been saying that the MMD left something positive. Let us see what PF will arrive in 2016 with, by the time of next elections. Ma-rubbish. Rupiah Banda messed up the MMD BIG TIME and he is probably the bigger ***** compared to Sata. HOWEVER, the MMD still has by far the more intelligent leaders compared to the PF chicken run govt.
Why do Zambian institutions use spokesmen?
Statistics should be announced by the statisticians themselves, so that people can ask questions that they can answer. In any case, this is credit to the former MMD government. We wait to see the results after 20 years of PF what will happen. More money in your pockets is indirectly proportional to longevity in Zambia.
very corupt
Ba saint muli chipuba
Gee so ba MMD worked afterall ! Thumbs ups MMD. 103 days out of power and your works are still YEILDING results. VIVA MMD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Uh…. I wouldn’t get too carried away congratulating the MMD for its effective health policies – 43 years is still an appallingly low life expectancy. Apparently, I’m on borrowed time already.
is he God.
No 1 ANALYST.
Those figures are calculated using the statistical data available from child births, morality rates, including traffic accidents. They arent predictions…..hahahahahahaaaa
Morality or mortality rates? Yes.
milestone? lol. Anyway, it used to be higher before akashishi +compounded by FTJ selfishness.
Toma ARV
Stating that life expectancy is 43 does not mean no Zambian is expected to live beyond that age. Isn’t it obvious that this is extrapolated fom looking at the myraid of factors causing death, collarating the ages at which these deaths occur, assessing numbers of people in particular age groups e.t.c. and arriving at an average?
There you go; things beginning to improve within 90 days as you were promised. Cheer up folks!
:-?We need to know which cohort of people this life expectancy applies to, because cohorts have different life experiences interms of epidemics
Ba MMD you are bringing marubbish in here get over it! We havehad enough of your dirty mind. How much cash did your government misuse on poor Zambian people in hearth system? What did the USA government promised you after you misused all the funds? Marubbish guys. I am not a PF supporter or rather do i stand for any political partie. Just doing my things here in Australia. I am sometime sad looking at the standered of our people who depends on katapa and tute making thier day. The current government needs our support to move our country. Get over it! Silly!
Though these identical are less expensive evaluating to the unique ones, you will not differentiate anything between both of them
why does this website have
British spelling?!?
Using empirical data (2010 household deaths and populations), i think it is higher than the 43 yrs. Overally, it is about 51 yrs, 53 for females and 49 for males. It would be interesting to get figures from CSO.