Election campaign on health pledge launched by activists As Zambia gets ready to go to the polls next month (20 September 2011), civil society has on Friday (5 August 2011) launched a campaign to make politicians accountable for the various health issues affecting people in the country.
The Civil Society Health Forum (CSHF) will be calling on politicians to sign a pledge card, which crystallizes various health issues facing Zambia, to show their commitment to the betterment of medical services in the country. Health is directly linked to the wellness of all people in Zambia and is therefore one of the most important election issues.
After Friday’s launch, which took place at the Olympic Youth Development Centre on the Great North Road in Lusaka, activities will spread out to seven provinces where politicians and the electorate will engage in public debates on health. A politician’s public endorsement of the pledge will be taken as a social contract and a reference point for future engagement on health issues.
The Forum had invited all its members to attend the launch and support this health cause. The pledge for prioritizing equitable and improved access to health-care services calls for the following:
• Government of Zambia to entrench the practice of transparency and accountability in planning and spending of the health budget.
• Government to commit to increase the health budget to at least 15 percent in accordance with its commitment to the Abuja Declaration.
• Health to be included in the constitution’s Bill of Rights as a fundamental human right.
• An increase in health facilities or centres to help ease the pressure on the few existing health facilities.
• Adequate staff in health centres to be trained to ensure quality service.
• Access to appropriate information on health to assist the public and individuals’decision-making.
• User fees are abolished in urban areas.
At the forum, participants wore T-shirts with slogans such as: “fair play for Africa-Zambia” and at the back “health for all is our goal”.
Among those invited included various guests from the media politicians and representatives of political parties. The guest of honor, Permanent Secretary Ministry of health, failed to show up, the Co - Chair of the Civil Society Forum. The Drama group and musicians were role-playing and singing on health issues.
Speeches were delivered by Michael Zulu a renowned musician and Ambassador of the campaign, Oxfam country director and Mr Felix Mwanza the chair of the Civil Society Health Forum.