Launching Child Health Week (June 20 -25), Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao said the country had made positive strides towards the reduction of maternal and child mortality, which 2007 figures show to be 119 per 1000 live births.
Although this is a significant reduction from 168 deaths per 1000 live births in 2001, Mr Simbao said child mortality remained unacceptably high and called for concerted efforts to reduce deaths further. He called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders in an effort to bring down mortality even further.
Mr Simbao added that the impact intervention, which the Ministry of Health is currently implementing, has proved to be effective in reducing child mortality and ensuring the healthy passage of all children into adulthood. He called for sustained implementation of these interventions as this will enable the country to achieve the goal of reducing child mortality.
Mr Simbao said it was saddening to see the life of a child brought to a sudden end by an illness for which effective preventive measures exists.
He added that the Ministry of Health remained determined to achieve high immunization coverage for children, and ensuring that all children have access to effective vaccines.
Mr Simbao reminded parents and guardians to take advantage of routine immunization and ensure that scheduled vaccinations for children are carried out. The minister said that children who are missed during routine immunization will be targeted at a second stage through the biannual Child Health Week. However, he urged parents not to wait for Child Health Week to have their children vaccinated.
The minister said that commitment to immunization by the Ministry of Health is evidenced by the strides made through the Vaccine Independency Initiative, which aims for 80 percent of the budget for vaccines to be provided by the government. He reminded parents that immunization services are provided at a lower cost throughout the county for the children during Child Health Week and beyond.
During his speech, the minister highlighted that the Ministry of Finance and National Planning has boosted the budgetary allocation for 2010 to the Ministry of Health. He said this development will enable his ministry to provide in a timely manner the necessary resources for healthcare drugs, equipment and personnel.
The minister also spoke about other programmes available during Child Health Week, namely growth monitoring and promotion of children. This affords the health worker, in collaboration with the parents, guardian or care taker, to determine the growth of a child and implements remedial measures for those children with growth problems.
The minister said another programme to be implemented during child health week is deworming. He said this was because children are prone to worm infestation, causing many adverse effects to the growth of the child. He said worms can reduce the amount of available food to the child and can cause them to loose blood (anemia). Mr Simbao reiterated the Ministry of Health commitment to ensuring that children are dewormed at least twice every year.
Mr Simbao said health education and behaviour change programmes, which address issues of knowledge, attitude, skills and practices of individuals and the community at large, will form part of the programmes that will be implemented during Child Health Week. He said health education and behaviour change programme will promote key family practices, which enhances child survival, including HIV and AIDS diagnosis, prevention and treatment among children.
During Child Health Week, the Ministry of Health will also address the needs of women of reproductive age by providing such things as family planning.
Mr Simbao said in an effort to improve access to health services, the government has created 124 health posts, 33 hospitals and accommodation for staff.
Mr Simbao called on all partners at international, national, provincial, district and local level to wok together and implement activities that will promote child survival during Child Health Week.
The minister called on all parents, guardians and stakeholders to take a keen interest in the issues of maternal, newborn child health in promoting child survival. He urged parents and guardians, including care takers, to take their children to the nearest health center or health post to access child health services being offered for free during Child Health Week.
The Ministry of Health will target two million children below the age of five countrywide during Child Health Week.
�