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PF's rise to power marked end to abuse of public resources - Kasonde

PF's rise to power marked end to abuse of public resources - Kasonde
By Roy Habaalu
Thu 11 Oct. 2012, 14:00 CAT

MINISTER of Health Joseph Kasonde says the ascendancy to power by PF marked the end of abuse of public resources.

During the signing of the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) single stream financing by the Global Fund, Dr Kasonde said the health sector in the last three years went through a difficult period.

He said the abuse of health resources by the civil servants that led to the withholding of donor funds was punishment for patients that never received drugs.

"This is the beginning of the end; the beginning of the end of the spread of HIV, malaria and disease transmission in Zambia. In the last three years we went through a very difficult time (when donors withheld funding to the health sector) a phenomenon we'll never see again," said Dr Kasonde.

"This is the beginning of the end of interruption in treatment of people suffering from HIV because the government will continue prioritising the health sector in line with the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) and vision," he said.

Dr Kasonde said the K500 billion single stream financing was targeted at high impact areas and reversing the spread of HIV in Zambia.

Meanwhile, United Nations Development Fund (UNDF) country director Viola Morgan said leadership, systems and processes needed to be strengthened in the utilisation of global funds.

She said for systems to be strengthened, they needed to be home-grown and led from the inside-out.

"It is a well known fact that health systems' strengthening requires long term and sustained financing and the response to HIV and AIDS is an integral part of this effort," said Morgan.

In 2009, the Anti-Corruption Commission unearthed a scam in which civil servants at the Ministry of Health allegedly stole K27 billion public funds.

This subsequently led to donors - Sweden, Netherlands and development aid organisations - withholding funds pending the release of the audit report and implementation of measures to safeguard donor aid.

The Global Fund, whose report also highlighted gross irregularities in the usage of funds last year, changed its principal recipients from Ministry of Health to United Nations Development Programme.

Labels: HEALTHCARE, JOSEPH KASONDE, MMD, PF

posted by MrK @ 7:36 PM