The government has called for a stable supply chain of drugs to all medical institutions on the Copperbelt Province.

Minister of Health, Jonas Chanda says there is need to eliminate erratic drug supply in all health institutions in the province as this poses a risk to the provision of quality health care.

ZANIS reports that Dr Chanda was speaking after inspecting the medical stores’ regional hub in Luanshya district.

Dr Chanda has hence implored Medical Stores Limited and the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) to co-operate in ensuring that challenges associated with the supply of quality drugs are mitigated.

He disclosed that President Edgar Lungu is soon expected to commission the Copperbelt medical stores regional hub.

And Medical Stores Copperbelt Regional Hub Manager, Mathews Fwambo said the facility was well stocked with all essential drugs.

Mr Fwambo said Medical Stores has maintained a regular monthly supply flow of drugs to health institutions in the region.

The government through the Ministry of Transport and Communication has successfully established an Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) that will reinforce aviation safety in the country.

Minister of Transport and Communication, Mutotwe Kafwaya disclosed that this is in line with the Chicago Convention on the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) that requires contracting states to set up an independent board.

Mr Kafwaya said the AAIB management will be in charge of investing into aircraft accidents and serious incidents that may occur within the country.

Speaking during the official inauguration ceremony of the Board of Directors for AAIB, Mr. Kafwaya expressed confidence in the team saying it is a necessary part of government’s efforts to consolidate and fulfil the convention on civil aviation.

“It is gratifying for me and my team that government under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu has demonstrated its commitment to ICAO which is finally coming to fruition as we inaugurate the AAIB today,” Mr Kafwaya stated.

The minister stated that the Board was drawn from an experienced industry of experts hence is hopeful that Zambia will strive to achieve minimal to zero serious incidents in aviation to improve aviation safety.

He implored the board to always ensure that it provides accurate and timely accident and incident reports that will act as a guide in the industry.

The Minister told the board to enhance sustainable operations so that the country continues to comply with its national and international obligations for investigations of aircraft accidents and incidents.

“It is my expectation that through your guidance as board, the aircraft accident investigation board will develop relations with local stakeholders, regional and international bodies,” he added.

Meanwhile, AAIB Chairperson, Alick Sakala requested for a statutory instrument to be established that will guide the board to successfully implement its objectives as well as the prescribed ICAO standards.

Captain Sakala expressed gratitude to government for having confidence in the board to effectively create safety in the aviation industry.

“It is a great honor and privilege to be founder members of the AAIB, and with these we realize it comes with great responsibilities,” he said.

The establishment of the AAIB is in line with the Civil Aviation Act NO. 5 of 2016.

Previously, the functions of the AAIB were temporarily delegated to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as an interim added responsibility.

UPND Lusaka Province youths has expressed concerns over the detention of over 30 Chongwe residents who were arrested last Thursday for merely trading in charcoal business. The police on said date, arrested the residents even when they had valid papers with them allowing them to trade in Charcoal.

The youth leadership said that the Chongwe case is a classic example of many trumped up arrests and charges that the Zambian people have been through under the Patriotic Front led police.

“Under this regime, many citizens have been subjected to these and many different kinds of trumped-up charges. How can one order an arrest of residents who are merely trying to survive under the harsh conditions that the same PF have brought since they took power? What is surprising is that these residents have valid papers allowing them to trade in Charcoal business. Why arrest them?” wondered the UPND youth leadership.

UPND Youths, who had hoped to see the residents walk to freedom yesterday afternoon when the matter was brought before Chongwe magistrate court were shocked when the magistrate refused to grant bail to the residents stating that the court could not do so as residents stay in different places. This was despite the residents availing before the court traceable references. The residents have since been taken to Kamwala remand prison.

Speaking shortly after the court proceedings, the UPND youths stated that their wish was to see both an independent judiciary and police service devoid of political infiltration and execute their duties in accordance with the republican constitution.

Isidore Tetamashimba, 2021 Mandevu constituency aspiring candidate who accompanied the youths provided food for all the remanded residents and took time to encourage them and their families to remain strong as this persecution was just a passing phase.

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has intensified its exercise of disinfecting public places around the city.

A team of LCC public health inspectors has been going around Lusaka to disinfect public places such as markets in order to reduce chances of the spread of Covid-19.

Lusaka City Council Public Relations Manager George Sichimba said a team of health inspectors was in Northmead area where they were carrying out health disinfections yesterday.

Mr. Sichimba said the council has also embarked on the massive Covid-19 sensitization exercise in public cemeteries.

He indicated that the exercise was started after an observation by the council that most mourners are not abiding by the public health guidelines.

He added that the observation also showed that the compliance levels among Lusaka residents has gone down making the work of the council difficult when enforcing public health measures.

The LCC Public Relations Manager explained that enforcing public health guidelines has been difficult because public cemeteries are not fenced. This makes mourners access the facilities from all corners at will.

“We are trying to change the methodology by speaking to mourners directly so that people realize that the prevention of Covid-19 is at individual level. So people should take individual responsibilities rather than waiting for people to go and remind them,” said Mr. Sichimba.

He disclosed that a group of public health inspectors was at Chingwere cemeteries over the weekend carrying out sensitizations.

Zambia Police Service has disclosed that about 8,557 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were recorded during the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to 7,640 reported during the third quarter in the same year.

Police Spokesperson, Esther Katongo disclosed that the country recorded a 10.7 percent increase in the number of GBV cases compared to the previous quarter.

Ms Katongo stated that about 1, 723 cases involved juvenile victims, representing 20 percent of all victims of GBV.

She added that among the 6,834 abuse cases, 5,121 represented female adults while 1,713 were male adults countrywide, adding that females of all ages have continued to be vulnerable towards the vice as 75 percent of all reported cases were abused in the fourth quarter.

“The fourth Quarter 2020 Disaggregated Data indicates that 1,723 juveniles were abused countrywide representing 20 percent of all the victims of Gender Based Violence. Out of the 1,723 juvenile victims, 1,298 were females representing 75 percent while 425 were males representing 25percent of all abused juvenile victims respectively,” Ms Katongo said.

The Police Spokesperson noted that under sexual abuse, 787 cases of sexual offences were recorded and of these, 622 victims were female juveniles translating to 79 percent, while 163 victims were female adults translating to over 20 percent.

She added that both adult and juvenile males recorded six cases of sexual violence in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Ms Katongo announced a reduction of 128 child defilement cases compared to the third quarter of 2020, as the country reported 586 cases in the fourth quarter, of which 585 were female juveniles and one case of a male juvenile, thereby representing 99.8 percent and 0.2 percent respectively.

She disclosed that Lusaka Province had the highest number of child defilement cases with 257 reported, while Northern Province recorded the least cases.

“Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of child defilement cases with 257 translating to 44 percent of the child defilement cases reported country wide. Eastern Province recorded 63 cases, followed by Central Province with 62 cases, Southern Province had 53 cases and Copperbelt Province recorded 39 cases of all the reported defilement cases. North Western recorded 38, Muchinga 23, Western 19, Luapula recorded 17, Northern nine, Airport Division recorded one case,” Ms Katongo said.

She stated that the number of rape cases stood at 106 and 13 attempted rape cases were recorded under the reviewed period.

Ms Katongo added that the country also reported 32 cases of indecent assault, 2,363 physical abuse, 480 economic abuse and, 22 murder cases.

She reiterated that Zambia Police will continue conducting GBV sensitization activities in an effort to curb the vice, while encouraging victims to report perpetrators of crime for possible prosecution.

Ms Katongo disclosed that a total of 8,897 people comprising 5,598 victims and 3,299 offenders were offered counseling by officers from the Victim Support Unit.