–The Ministry of Education Science, Vocational Training and Early Child Education with support from Global and Churches Association of Zambia (CHAZ) on Friday held the first ever Teachers’ Health day in Muchinga Province.
The celebration was held at Mishishi Secondary School under the theme “The Teacher the Hope, The Young People, our future.”
A number of services were also lined up such as Dental Care, Blood Sugar test, Malaria test, HIV test and Blood Pressure check among others.
Muchinga Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Davy Chanda, officiated at the celebration.
Mr Chanda said a teacher is the light that shines everywhere and is the source of information for learners.
He said valuable progress has been made in increasing access to HIV and AIDS services, yet greater commitment is needed around the world if this goal is to be achieved.
Mr Chanda appealed to all the young people to stay free from HIV as government also wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the provision of education, access to HIV information, prevention, care and support to people living with HIV and AIDS in the education sector as a human right.
He also appealed to the Provincial Education officer (PEO), District Education Board Secretaries (DEBS) and head teachers across Muchinga Province to ensure that the fight against HIV is intensified at all levels.
Speaking earlier, Acting Provincial Education Officer, Joel Kamoko, said the province realizes that for effective implementation of education programmes to take place, there is need to strengthen educational support in areas such as health of teachers and learners.
Mr Kamoko said the province has identified support services as an important factor to the improvement of learner performance.
He said Muchinga has a desire to ensure that the health of teachers, learners and other staff in the education sector is checked regularly.