Under-five mortality declines but……

Under-five mortality declines but……
Chinsali, February 10, 2014, ZANIS… Zambia has continued to experience a reduction in the under-five mortality rate over the past two decades.

However, Community Development Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister says there is need for the country to scale – up the under five mortality reduction programme.

Ms Kapata says this is in order to meet the desirable Millennium Development Goal ( MDG) number four.

Ms. Kapata said this when she paid a courtesy call on Muchinga
Province Minister Gerry Chanda at his office recently.

The Deputy Minister said the burden of infectious diseases is high in
the country and contributes significantly to child mobility and
mortality.

She added that although the country’s health statistic invokes the
prevention of unnecessary deaths and diseases through vaccines, the
programme is dependent on a comprehensive vaccine delivery system.

Ms. Kapata said the system is called the Vaccine Cold Chain which
encompasses all aspects of delivering vaccines including ordering,
tracking of correct vaccine amounts, proper equipment and trained
staff to transport and maintain both the vaccines and equipment.

 The Deputy Minister was in Muchinga province to inspect the
operations of the Cold Chain system in the area.

Among the health facilities that she inspected include the provincial
cold room, Lubwa Mission in Chinsali and Chibansa clinic in Mpika
district.

And Muchinga Province Minister  Gerry Chanda said the Ministry
should ensure that people in rural areas are sensitized on the
importance of immunization for the under-fives.

Colonel Chanda further appealed to the Ministry of Community
Development Mother and Child Health to improve storage infrastructure at most health facilities in the province to meet the demand.

Meanwhile, provincial Medical Officer  Francis Bwalya said his
office has been hit by a critical shortage of transport and appealed
to the ministry for an urgent intervention.

He said that inadequate transport in the province is making it
difficult for most health staff to do outreach programmes such as
immunizations.