‘Maternal health services a challenge’

MATERNAL health services have remained a challenge for women in Zambia, says the Medicines Research and Access Platform (MedRAP),

MedRAP, a non-governmental Organisation whose objective is to strengthen health systems, also said Sexual Reproductive Health Commodities (SHRC) in Zambia were still low.

Executive Director, Lioka Lioka, said SHRC was still low with a higher availability in the public and mission sectors than in the private.

Mr Lioka said that maternal health services had been one of the most challenging service to access adding that women were the most affected.

He was speaking in Kazungula when he presented a policy brief report on MedRAP's findings of the availability of sexual reproductive health commodities in both urban and rural health centres.

Mr Lioka also paid a courtesy call on Chief Mukuni of Kazungula.

He said that the report was based on the data collected from over 440 health centres countrywide on the availability, price, affordability and barriers of SRH commodities.

"We are here to present a policy brief report about our finding and make recommendations to the Government through you your royal Highnesses. We realize that the role that your Royal Highnesses are the voices of our people," he said.

He added that the report showed that the available of sexual reproductive health commodities in rural areas was a challenge.

Mr Lioka appealed to Government to improve the supply chain system of medical procurement in the country.

And Chief Mukuni has assured MedRAP that the House of Chiefs would support what the organization was doing.

The traditional leader said sexual reproductive health was still a challenge adding at some point, he as a chief was the ambassador championing the cause.

"As House of Chiefs, we will be a voice that will support you and what you're doing fully," he said.

The MedRAP delegation also donated face masks to the chief in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.