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Zambia records decline in child, maternal mortality

Zambia records decline in child, maternal mortality
Written by Margaret Habbuno
Tuesday, September 08, 2009 3:23:05 PM

UNITED Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) advocate for Zambia, Marsha Moyo, has said the country has recorded a substantial decline in preventable child and maternal mortality rates.

In an interview, Moyo said measures to mitigate challenges must be more preventative-based, saying it was important to be dependant on changes in behaviour and lifestyle to reduce preventable deaths.

“Additionally, the incidence of HIV infection, malaria and other diseases has declined. Continued success to reduce these levels must be more preventative-based and most importantly, dependant on changes in behaviour and lifestyle,” she said.

Moyo however said the school completion rate for girls and the general declining literacy levels in the country were still of grave concern.

“No longer can education and literacy be viewed as an option or luxury as an educated populous is critical for the development of any country and enables a country more effective participation and contribution on the global arena. Zambia must prioritise education,” Moyo said.

And Moyo said the number of women in decision-making positions did not reflect Zambia’s national gender policy.

“The signing of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) stipulations of 50 and 30 per cent female representation by 2010 and 2015 respectively or the country’s 51 per cent female population.”she said.

She said Zambia was ready to be part of the nation’s development.

“Zambia has a magnanimous number of meritus women willing, able and ready to be a part of the nation’s development. This is the easiest MDG to achieve and must move beyond goodwill to an action,” Moyo said.

She also said environmental sustainability remained Zambia’s greatest challenge to achieving the MDGs.

“While positive strides are being realised in the access to clean water and improved sanitation, Zambia desperately lags behind on the issue of climate change. Unfortunately, climate change is perceived as secondary to our basic and more immediate survival needs. Yet, the very degradation of our environment due to deforestation and denudation in fact negatively contribute and compound our challenges to subsequently grow more food and lead healthier lives,” Moyo said.

She said paying a blind eye to the fight against climate change was not helpful to development.

“It is not enough to turn a blind eye to the immense amount of charcoal burning and justify it as the only source of energy when the long-term effects of it are known. Lasting solutions must be established and implemented to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change,” she said.

Moyo observed that there were positive results in rural areas in relation to the attainment of the MDGs.

“Despite there not being a vernacular term for MDGs, more success is recorded in the rural parts of Zambia. There are, in fact, more people living in the rural areas, the primary reason for this success is due to people understanding and implementing the eight goals as necessities for their survival and the people’s consequent action to implement solutions,” Moyo said.

She said traditional rulers had exhibited and exercised tremendous positive leadership in ensuring that people in the respective areas implemented the MDGs to improve their lives.

“The UN shall continue to provide support towards Zambia’s commitment to achieving the MDGs but with six years to go, we need to speed up and intensify efforts for us to realise any substantial development. We cannot afford to take refuge in challenges we widely face as a continent nor hide behind donor support,” she said.

Moyo said it was important to spearhead the attainment of MDGs as it was an urgent element.

Labels: MARSHA MOYO, WOMEN

posted by MrK @ 2:25 PM