United Nations International Childrens Education Fund ( UNICEF )country representative Lotta Sylwander says Zambia ‘s under five mortality rate has reduced tremendously.
In a statement obtasined by ZANIS, last evening Ms Sylwander said it was gratifying to note that the country has child mortality rate has fallen by nearly 30 percent.
“Zambia’s under-5 mortality rate has fallen by nearly 30 percent since 2001, from 168 per 1,000 live births to 119, and undoubtedly Child Health Weeks are a major factor in helping the Government of Zambia achieve this impressive progress in accelerated child survival,” said Ms. Sylwander.
“UNICEF is committed to reducing child and maternal mortality even further and we’re delighted to be partnering with DFID (Department Fund for International Development of the Britain), which is a major donor to Zambia’s current round of Child Health Week.”
Ms. Sylwander explained that due to internal difficulties, the Zambian Government could not fully fund this week’s Child Health Week, so after being requested by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF turned to cooperating donors to fill the gap.
DFID agreed to provide UNICEF with €275,000 pounds (US$414,000), which the UN agency is distributing to provincial health offices across the country.
And observing Child Health Week activities – including vaccinations and growth monitoring — at the Chipata Health Clinic here in the Zambian capital, Mike Hammond, DFID’s Head of Office in Zambia, said, “DFID is very pleased to have contributed €275,000 pounds in support of the Ministry of Health and Child Heath Week, which is taking place in all of Zambia’s 72 districts.
” I am impressed by the medical services being provided, the organization, the service delivery, and most especially by the high turnout. It’s great to see that so many mothers are highly motivated to come and take time from their busy lives to protect the health of their children.” said Hammond.
One of the mothers found at the clinic, Pascalina Mulenga, 29, brought her two children to the clinic this morning, Astridah, 4, and one-year-old Pascalina.
“I don’t usually miss the vaccinations because I now understand the importance of protecting my children from preventable illnesses,” Mrs Mulenga says.
Her counterpart Rebecca Simukoko, 22, who brought her one-year-old baby Deborah, said, “This year has been impressive because we do not have long queues. I have been here for less than 30 minutes.”
The coordinator of Child Health Week at the Chipata Health Clinic, Rose Kawilila, a registered midwife, stressed the need to increase the number of out reach health posts in the community, in order to reduce the demand on the clinic.
“Currently, we have one post, apart from the clinic, providing health services and there is not enough especially that we target there are about 19,000 babies in the compound. We also need more volunteers to help in the exercise. I hope this can be strengthened next year.”
On the other hand Ms. Sylwander said, “This whole process has a lofty goal: finding better ways to harness the extraordinary power of communication for life saving interventions for the children of Zambia.
” It will be a great day for this country when all parents and caregivers will fully embrace these life saving practices and interventions so 100 percent of children are reached.”
Child Health Week is now biannual in Zambia and targets almost 2.3 million children under the age of 5 and has become a critical element in Zambia’s implementation of the Accelerated Child Survival and Development (ACSD) strategy.
Implementing ACSD entails putting in place a set of high impact, low cost interventions designed to help reach the targets of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal health.
“Upscaling outreach, through innovative communications for development initiatives, is the final important factor – so that no child misses out,” said Sylwander.
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.
As the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
ZANIS
This is a clear indication that MMD is working hard.
Does this not show that the benefits of the economic growth that Zambia is currently experiencing? Am sure there will be some who will dispute the figures but a decline of 30% is a great achievement. Weshould not rest on our laurels but redouble our efforts so as to ensure that the rates of child mortality keep on falling.
I am very sure that if a PF cadre comments he will still look at the negative side of reduced child mortality! But to us who are positive looking these are some of the indicators of a government doing things right. MMD is truelly doing great I hope the Zambian people will one day realise that Fred M’membe and his followers are only after making money for their newspaper to try and recover the lost US$3milluion in Zambina Airways!
Here is good news but come 2011 we will reverse this. As can be seen from the number of comments in this story, it shows that Zambians lack self confidence as a nation and have ill-will to their country. Shame!
This is very good news. Please keep up the effort. Even one death is one too many. 119 per 1000 is still too high. That’s 119 funerals and heart broken families.
Do we know what is killing the remaining 119/1000? Is it parental attitudes, religious beliefs like those of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, ignorance or a loop hole in medical care. If you told me, 119 of the 1000 babies in the queue are going to die, I would be say you are joking. But thsi si what the figures are saying.
In my secondary school, there used to be 120 pupils per grade. That 119 is like wiping out the Grade 12s in that school every year. Imagine.
Thanks so much UNICEF and Zed Govt and health personnel. Now lets drive those numbers down even further.