MEDRAP DECRIES REDUCED HEALTH SECTOR ALLOCATION

THE reduction in funding to the health sector in the 2021 National Budget is counterproductive, the Medicines Research and Access Platform (MedRAP) has observed.

MedRAP National Coordinator, Liyoka Liyoka, noted that the funding to the health sector had continued to reduce.

He said the reduction was counterproductive to efforts aimed at achieving universal health coverage for all especially for the underprivileged.

This is contained in a statement released to the Daily Nation in Livingstone by MedRAP Communications Officer Shikanda Kawanga.

Mr Liyoka observed that the 2021 health budget would not meet the aspirations of women in the country in the provision of sexual reproductive commodities.

“MedRAP would like to congratulate the Minister of Finance and Government for the presentation of the 2021 budget to the National Assembly.

“However, we would like to note with concern the progressive reduction in the health budget that in the

2019 that stood at 9.3 per cent and in 2020 the budget reduced to 8.8 per cent and now in the 2021 budget, it has reduced to 8.1 percent,” he noted.

Mr Liyoka explained that the Abuja Declaration aspires that at least 15 per cent of the national budget should be allocated to the health sector.

“The reduction therefore, seems to form a clear departure from the Abuja Declaration which we know that the Government of the Republic of Zambia is a signatory to,” Mr Liyoka said.