ZAMBIA has a shortfall of K51.3 million to meet the K85.1 million required to conduct a Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) next year to help track changes in key health indicators.
Health Minister Sylvia Masebo said yesterday at the annual consultative meeting that the Government through Zambia Statistical Agency and her ministry, working with cooperating partners has been conducting DHS every after four years since 1992.
She said funding for the DHS was key for its successful implementation and an estimated K85.1 million is required to conduct the survey.
“There is currently a funding gap of K51.3 Million to fully meet the cost required for implementation. I therefore implore all of you to take interest and consider supporting this very important national exercise,” she said.
Ms Masebo said that the Government had planned to conduct another round of the DHS in 2023 to help track changes in key health indicators.
The Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) provided an opportunity to inform policy and provide data for planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national health programmes.
On the National Health Strategic Plan 2022-2026, she said it provided details on the direction the health sector would take, the achievements and outcomes that would be attained and the interventions that will be undertaken to meet the targets.
World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative Nathan Bakyaita congratulated Zambia for attaining the global goal of vaccinating 70 per cent of the eligible Zambian population against COVID-19.
He also said that the stabilised governance situation at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) compounded with availability of public funding for medicines should quickly materialise in improved health supply chain.
He also commended the ministry of Health’s commitment and ongoing efforts towards the dismantling of the drug debt and trying to clear the bottlenecks hindering the conclusion of some launched, planned, and ongoing procurement tenders to address the persistent medicines stock-outs.
He said that as cooperating partners, they stood ready to support the ministry.
