Maravi

‘Human activities have led to changes in weather pattern’

‘Human activities have led to changes in weather pattern’
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Mon 22 Feb. 2010, 03:48 CAT

LIVINGSTONE district commissioner Francis Chika has said human activities have led to changes in the weather pattern, resulting in droughts.

Speaking on Friday when Professional Insurance handed over 1,200 posters on climate change and nutrition to the government for distribution to Southern Province schools, Chika said the provision of education required concerted efforts from all stakeholders.

“As education is critical to national development, my government attaches a lot of importance to programmes that are deliberately tailored to empower the citizenry through the provision of information. The two areas you have focused on of climate change and nutrition have taken centre stage worldwide,” Chika said. “This is so as human activity has led to changes in the weather pattern that have resulted in, among other things, droughts that have led to malnutrition and deaths.”

He said the effects of human activities on climate could not be overemphasised.

“We have taken interventions aimed at mitigating the damaging effects that human activity exerts on the environment and your approach which targets children at a tender age should be commended,” Chika said.

He said the Ministry of Education last year launched the school health month in order to raise awareness on the importance of health and nutrition among learners in schools.

“The school health and nutrition programme which was initially introduced in Eastern Province has now been scaled up to all the nine provinces. The month of July has been set aside to specifically commemorate this important event,” he said.

Chika said the government appreciated the efforts the private sector were putting in to complement the government policies and programs which were aimed at ensuring a healthy and educated nation.

And Professional Insurance Livingstone manager Edger Nyemba said the organisation spent about K250 million to print and distribute the posters throughout Zambia.

“We have decided to partner with government in terms of sensitising children on the importance of good and appropriate nutrition and the value of good traditional food. We are happy with what is happening in your government through the Ministry of Education in this regard and we are cognizant of the tremendous strides you have made in promoting good and appropriate nutrition through education,” he said.

Nyemba commended the teachers for their tremendous job, which they had continued to do in the development of the country.

Nyemba said the 1,200 posters on climate change, nutrition and value of good traditional food would be distributed to 400 basic schools in the province.

Labels: CLIMATE CHANGE, FRANCIS CHIKA

posted by MrK @ 6:07 PM