Increased health awareness key in disease prevention

WE need to increase on health promotions and awareness so that we can have a social behavioral change to attaining Universal health coverage, Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya has said.

Dr Chilufya said health promotions and awareness were key to the prevention of diseases and creating a healthy community and nation.

Speaking during the launch of ‘Family Health, Life is Precious’ campaign in Lusaka, Dr Chilufya said a multi-sectoral approach was key to ensuring that health services reached out to all parts of the country and achieving health coverage for all.

Dr Chilufya said equipping the public with knowledge would help bring out behavioural change in decisions translating into an informed and healthy nation.

“Government is keen on supporting such initiatives and programmes as they promote quality health services for people living in remote place,” he said.

And Breakthrough Action Chief of Party, Chime Mukwakwa said her organisation was going to support Government to ensure an increased adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviour among communities especially women and youths in rural areas. Ms Mukwakwa said the campaign was intentionally designed for communities and individuals so as to bridge the gap of information flow in most parts of the rural areas as it was not easy for the government alone to Carter for the people of Zambia at once.

She said the approach taken by the organisation was to ensure that citizen wellness was achieved by creating well-crafted community centered programmes and increasing adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviour among Zambian youths and women.

Meanwhile, residents of Mkushi have welcomed the project in the area saying it was going to help enhance health information flow and behaviour change among youths.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, Chibale Mwape, a resident of Mkushi, applauded Government for including rural areas in the project. Mr. Mwape said the initiative was going to help decrease bad social behaviour especially among youths.