MOE conducts health market fair

-The Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education in partnership with various stakeholders has embarked on a health market fair across the nation to improve teacher-learner performance in rural areas.

Nakonde District Commissioner, James Singoyi, said this strategy will help to meet community members’ needs for health promotion, education and prevention.

Mr SIngoyi said this in a speech read on his behalf by the District Education Standards Officer, Kaala Hitami, at the health market fair held at Nteko Secondary School in Nakonde district of Muchinga province.

He said for a teacher to deliver knowledge and skills effectively to the learners, he/she must be in good health and the ministry should also ensure that learners are in good health if they are to learn properly.

In an interview with ZANIS, Anti Aids Teachers Association of Zambia (AATAZ) Executive Director, Alice Chitomfwa, said this concept of market fair, where teachers, pupils and parents come together to access medicals free of charge is beneficial to the community due to lack of health centres in rural areas.

She said education should be strongly linked to health because bad health inhibits good performance.

Ms Chitomfwa also encouraged the people, especially those in the education sector, to continue with this initiative and include such ventures in their strategic plans as this will give them a sense of ownership.

Among the services that were available were Voluntary Counselling and Testing, malaria testing, diabetes screening, BP checks, family planning information, dental checks, under 5 clinic and cervical cancer checks.