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Matale challenges govt over funding to health ministry

Matale challenges govt over funding to health ministry
By Kabanda Chulu
Wed 21 Oct. 2009, 14:16 CAT

COUNCIL of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general secretary Reverend Suzanne Matale yesterday challenged the government to put its house in order since donors have remained adamant about resuming funding to the Ministry of Health. And Rev Matale said the church of nowadays has changed from what it used to be in the past.

Responding to Roan member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili, who asked if the church, had engaged donors to plead on behalf of the government about resumption of aid to the health ministry, during the CCZ’s submission to the expanded parliamentary committee on estimates, Rev Matale said the church had tried its best to convince the cooperating partners about resumption of funding to the health sector.

“We have engaged donors on a one-on-one basis especially that there are projects we support which have been affected but it seems everything depends on what their respective governments will say,” Rev Matale said. “We have tried our best to speak to them but they donors have remained adamant that unless the Zambian government puts its house in order.”

She said the Church was concerned about the reduction in the health budget from K1.8 trillion to K1.3 trillion in 2010.

“This reduction sends distressing signals and also compromises our ability to achieve the MDGs of reducing maternal and infant mortality and reducing prevalence of HIV, TB and malaria.

As a healthy population is a foundation stone for economic development, we urge government to reconsider the budget allocations to this sector,” Rev Matale said.

“We know that government is working on the assumption that donors will recommit aid but we wish to state that it is unethical and a sin to gamble with human life since death is irreversible and life is sacred.”

And responding to Katombora member of parliament Regina Musokotwane, who asked if the Church had excommunicated or stopped any member found wanting for corrupt practices from taking Holy Communion or participating in church activities, Rev Matale responded that nowadays there were two different churches.

“The Church is not what it used to be in the past and things have changed because there are some of us who come from the traditional background and we have others who have just come up and we are different and we cannot ask someone that where have you gotten this wealth since we teach Christian values of honesty and integrity, which people should follow as Christians,” said Rev Matale.

Labels: CCZ, CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI, DONORS, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, SUZANNE MATALE

posted by MrK @ 4:10 PM