Cooperating Partners cheer Prof. Lackson Kasonka
MINISTRY of Health (MoH) Permanent Secretary-Technical Services Lackson Kasonka at Lusaka Apex University (LAMU)
By Bilke Mulenga |
Journalist
Communication and External Relations
Department of Health Promotion, Environment and Social Determinants
REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA | Ministry of Health – HQ
Haile Selassie Road, Longacres | Box 30205 | Lusaka- Zambia
Phone No.: +260 955 684929 / 0975 658330
Email: bilkemulenga@gmail.com
The Government has expressed gratitude to all Cooperating Partners (CPs) for helping in achieving the UNSAID target of achieving said the country has made a remarkable strides towards the HIV epidemic control among the populations having reached the UNAIDS target of 90-90-90 by the end 2019.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services (TS) Lackson Kasonka said the achievement was extremely pleasing and attributed it to the introduction of innovative policies.
Early this year Prof Kasonaka said one innovative policy that led to the achievement was the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target was test and treat through Universal HIV testing that the Government had introduced in the past few years which the partners had also partners supported.
However, from the following reports it is clear that the health sector has continued making strides in improving the status of alleviating HIV cases in the country.
The permanent secretary said at that meeting held in February 2022 that quality counseling and treatment services, partner notification and index testing as well as the use of an HIV screening tool played a milestone in achieving the goal of having 90 percent of people testing for HIV and know their status, 90 percent of HIV positive put on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and 90 percent of the HIV positive people have their viral load suppressed.
Speaking at the close of a three year project initiated by the Catholic Relief Services dubbed ‘’Faith-Based Action for Scaling Up Testing and Treatment Response (FASTER) February 2022,’’ Prof Kasonka said cooperating partners had also played a significant roles in achieving the policies and programs of the UNSAID 90 90 90 target.
“This milestone was achieved by the exceptional leadership of the National HIV program and coordinated partner support. It is estimated that at the end of 2021, 87 per cent of nearly 60 000 children living with HIV know their status (through their parents) and of those 94 per cent are currently receiving Antiretroviral drugs to improve their lives,’’ Prof. Kasonka said.
Prof. Kasonka further urged all actors in the pediatric and adolescent response to continue reflecting on opportunities that could harness the achievement of HIV epidemic control among the pediatric and adolescents.
The Ministry of Health had partnered the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) with support from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to implement the project in 50 priority sites in Eastern, Western, Southern and Lusaka Provinces.
And Project Coordinator Chalilwe Chungu commended the Ministry of Health for accepting the project to be conducted at their health facilities in the priority sites in four named provinces.
Dr. Chungu also thanked all partners that worked with the Catholic Relief Services in implementing the project, saying the project had managed to yield the intended results.
