Health research key to development

By CHIKUMBI KATEBE ISSUES of health research and development are very critical in achieving Government’s aspirations of making Zambia a middle income country under the seventh national development plan by the year 2030, says the Ministry of Health.

MoH permanent secretary for administration, Kennedy Malama said Government welcomed the establishment of the Zambia National Health Research Authority (NHRA) to strengthen the issue of health information and research in line with the national health strategic plan.

He said the NHRA was part of the health sector and the broader Government agenda to improve the lives of the people of Zambia.

“For us in the health sector, everything we do is anchored on the overall aspirations of the country, and our target is to see us become a middle income country by the year 2030.

Dr Malama said research provided highest level of evidence to reveal what was adequate and what was required to make decisions.

He was speaking during the opening of a media orientation meeting held to familiarise the authority and its mandate in health research and development in Zambia through regulatory framework for development, regulation, financing and coordination of health research to ensure development of consistent health research standards and guidelines for ethically sound research.

Dr Malama said the media should rely on evidence based reporting to help build confidence in the people by relying on information from the authority, and avoid dependency on nonreliable sources of information such as the internet (google, social media).