Community Development and Social Services permanent secretary Teddy Kasonso has refuted media reports that 20 teachers die in Lusaka and 16 die on the Copperbelt on a monthly basis.
And Mr. Kasonso has warned the Zambia National Union of Teachers, ZNUT, to discipline its members issuing alarming statements to the media.
The permanent secretary said his ministry in conjunction with the ministry of health is the only one which is mandated to establish the vulnerability of people in the country.
Officiating at the closure of a four-day regional HIV/AIDS workshop for the Zambia
Interfaith Networking Group on HIV/AIDS, ZINGO, in Lusaka today, Mr. Kasonso
reiterated government’s commitment to the fight against the HIV-AIDS pandemic.
And speaking earlier, ZINGO executive secretary, Yussuf Ayami called on the ministry
of community development and social services to consider funding ZINGO to reduce the
orgnaisation’s dependence on donors.
Mr. Ayami said faith based organisations are finding it difficult to make a meaningful contribution to the fight against HIV-AIDS because of financial constraints.
He said the church has not been spared by the HIV/AIDS pandemic hence the need for
the church leaders to be abreast with HIV-AIDS trends in order to take appropriate
interventions.
Anerela General Secretary Father Japce Heath called for huge investment in the fight
against the HIV-AIDS pandemic if the fight is to be won.
Fr. Heath further also urged African governments to commit at least 15 percent of the national budget to HIV-AIDS fight.
The four day workshop has attracted participants from neighbouring Malawi, Mozambique and host Zambia.
The aim of the workshop is to develop strategies of combating stigma, denial and discrimination not only in churches but in communities also.
