By Asma’u Ahmad
The Government of Zambia has launched a strategic plan to steer the provision of quality healthcare services to citizens in the next five years.
The National Health Strategic Plan, which runs from 2017 to 2021 will be implemented under the theme “Transformative agenda.”
Mr. Chitalu Chilufya
Health Reporters gathered that it will focus on primary health care through preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services as close to the family as possible.”
The Minister of Health, Chitalu Chilufya, said during the launch that the plan gave the country a roadmap on the steps needed to be taken to drive the country’s health sector in the next five years.
According to him the plan was anchored on the country’s Seventh National Development Plan (SNDP), an overall roadmap for the country’s development.
He said the plan defined the key priorities and areas the ministry would be use to improve the health care system in the country. “The focus of the plan is strengthening the health system to ensure universal health coverage, using primary health care. It is meant to produce a healthy and productive population to drive economic development.
“The plan is anchored on seven pillars: improving health service delivery, ensuring adequate human resource, ensuring steady supply of drugs, and ensuring health care financing.
“It is also to ensure adequate health care infrastructure, improving health information systems and ensuring leadership and governance in the health sector,” he said.
United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinate Janet Rogan welcomed government’s decision to launch the plan, adding that it would help in tackling various challenges facing the health sector in the country.
She said the health sector faced various challenges such as emergency of non-communicable diseases and inadequate investment in the health sector, adding that Zambia needed a comprehensive approach in tackling challenges in the sector.
