There Is Need For Zambians To Stick To One Sexual Partner-Kabanshi

During the official opening of the New Chifundo Antiretroviral Treatment Clinic in Chaisa on Wednesday, Emerine Kabanshi Community development mother and child health minister said HIV testing was the first step to accessing care and support and improvement of the quality of life.Kabanshi also says there is need for Zambians to stick to one sexual partner.
She encouraged people who were on antiretroviral drugs to continue adhering to treatment and follow the advice that their service providers gave them.
“The clinic will reach the people of Chaisa and surrounding areas with HIV testing, antiretroviral treatment and care, HIV prevention through the distribution of condoms and sensitisation messages,” Kabanshi said. “I would like to congratulate AIDS Health Care Foundation (AHF) who worked hard to see to it that this structure is built. I have toured the place and I am impressed to see that it is a state-of-the-art facility which meets the requirement for the provision of the services it is intended to offer.”
Kabanshi said it was clear that if Zambia had more people accessing HIV services, mortality rates due to HIV would reduce drastically.
She urged Chaisa residents to take advantage of the facility by accessing the services available.
Meanwhile, health deputy minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya said the government was committed to strengthening service delivery in the health sector.
He said the PF government had put in place policies to ensure that infrastructure development was a priority throughout the country.
Dr Chilufya, who was represented by Dr Abel Kabalo, said the Chifundo ART clinic would enable the country move towards meeting Millennium Development Goal number six on combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases by the year 2015.
Mandevu member of parliament Jean Kapata said the construction of the Chaisa ART clinic started following realisation that Chaisa and its catchment area were densely populated and had lagged behind in health infrastructure and services.
Kapata, who is also tourism and arts minister, said it was evident that Chaisa residents had no easy access to quality health care service.
Kapata also pledged that a maternity wing would be constructed in the area before 2016.
AIDS Health Care Foundation Global president Michael Weinstein said he was impressed that most HIV patients in Zambia were on ARVs.
The Chifundo ART clinic will be co-managed by AIDS Health Care Foundation in collaboration with Lusaka district community health office.