By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has pledged to increase funding to the health sector once elected into office.
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema said in a statement yesterday that the party, if elected into government, would increase the budget allocation to health.
Mr Hichilema said the opposition party was committed to health.
“We will build a healthy nation through investment in target areas, good planning and efficient management,” he said.
The party intends to improve the health sector through supporting disease prevention measures, improving sanitation and increasing staffing.
Mr Hichilema said the UPND would introduce telemedicine and focus on reproductive and maternal health.
He said life was a precious gift from God that required to be taken care of.
Mr Hichilema also said that diabetes was becoming Africa’s 7th largest killer.
In Zambia, the rate of diabetes was growing rapidly and represented a new challenge to Government, health facilities, communities and individuals.
Mr Hichilema said it was unfortunate that Zambia only had a health care staff of 3,520 as compared to the international requirement of 37,500.
He accused the Patriotic Front (PF) Government of not being committed to health in the country looking at the staff shortages in health centres.
