PHOTO: President Lungu
Zambian President Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu has urged African Leaders to focus on building the capacity of healthcare providers in various fields and specialties in order to keep the African population healthy and productive.
Mr. Lungu said he was delighted that the virtual conference coincided with the 4th Anniversary of Merck Foundation which proved to be their long term strategic partnership.
The Zambian leader made the disclosure at the opening of the 8th edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary via video conference on April 27, 2021.
The virtual conference was attended by over 32,000 policy makers, ministers of health, education, academia, and media representatives from seventy countries.
Addressing a high level panel, Lungu also urged African first ladies to continue prioritizing human capital development through various capacity building programs aimed at supporting the work of the ministries of health in their respective countries.
The program is being held under the Theme: “Together We Can Make a Difference Through Building Healthcare Capacity and Improving Access to Equitable Health including Breaking the Stigma of Infertility”.
This video conference has afforded them the opportunity to meet and discuss different strategies to overcome health and social challenges and find solutions to improve access to equitable and quality Health care in their respective countries, President Lungu told the gathering.
He recognized the critical role of health workers during the COVID 19 pandemic confronting the globe and also paid tribute to the “heroes and heroines who have consistently been at the battlefront of various public health threats and emergencies and more so, during the COVID 19 pandemic which has continued to ravage nations”.
President Lungu says, he believes that stronger political commitment, purposeful and strategic partnership are key to improving health outcomes and the wellbeing of all peoples of the world, especially Africa. He said they as political leaders are accountable to their people for the decisions they make and results they achieve.
He spoke of how he is impressed with the foundation’s smart strategy and flawless execution aimed at advancing capacity of healthcare providers, through “critical and underserved specialty training for their local doctors across the country. Hence ensuring quality and equitable Healthcare to their people which is a critical ingredient in the attainment of universal health coverage”.
To achieve the sustainable development goals, according to Lungu, there is urgent need for innovative, dynamic and purposeful partnerships which can be done only through effective coordination of collective efforts to achieve these goals.
Lungu: “Today there are achievements to celebrate but also challenges to address now more than ever and we have realized the critical importance of public healthcare sectors. With this realization, we must continue programs that build our healthcare capacity and train our healthcare providers.
In this regard, his government has identified human resource of health as a critical investment in ensuring that our people are healthy and productive.
He described human resource as a prerequisite to their country’s socio-economic transformation which is highlighted in their national development plan and the national strategic plan.
The Zambian leader then lauded the Merck foundation for training 85 local doctors in various fields of specializations such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, women Health, reproductive Health as well as respiratory and intensive care.
For her part, the country’s First Lady Esther Lungu said she is indebted to Merck Foundation for selecting Zambia to host the “important knowledge platform where we will discuss cross cutting issues to address various health and Social challenge besides finding solutions to improve the health and well-being of our nations”.
The First Lady who is also a Merk Ambassador and Co-Chair of the 8th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary Conference, said it is her expectation that outcomes of their discussions will be accompanied by a monitoring framework to ensure progress along the way.
She at the same time used the occasion to commend Merck Foundation for the supports rendered to their respective countries and first ladies of Africa whom she described as sisters. Compiled by Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com