Britain injects K30M in Zambia’s fight against cholera

NICHOLAS Woolley, the British High Commissioner to Zambia says the United Kingdom (UK) has so far provided over K30 million to support Zambian community-led activities in the fight against cholera.

Mr Woolley said the UK had also deployed, at the Zambian government’s request, teams of specialists in infectious diseases and public health to support the work of their Zambian peers under the Ministry of Health.

“On behalf of the UK, I would like to express our solidarity with the Zambian people at this difficult time with the ongoing cholera outbreak and national drought disaster,” he said.

Mr Woolley said this yesterday when he met Ms Sylvia Masebo, the Health Minister.

He was accompanied by Dr Ashley Sharp, head of the UK Health Security Agency team in Zambia, and Dr Ben Powis, head of the British High Commission’s governance and human development team.

Mr Woolley said the UK was working to help the Zambian authorities strengthen their community level response through the Red Cross.

He said the programme was part of the UK’s wider partnership with Zambia on strengthening health systems which ranged from the UK Health Security Agency’s partnerships with the Ministry of Health and the Zambia National Public Health Institute, through the Global Fund for TB, Malaria and HIV to which the UK was the world’s third largest donor.

Mr Woolley said others included vaccination through GAVI, the new animal health programme that was launched last week and was working to prevent antimicrobial resistance through the UK’s Fleming Fund.

He said the UK would continue to stand with Zambia during the difficult period.

"We are now working with nutrition partners in pivoting to support the drought response through our long-standing partnership to improve nutrition in Zambia through the Scaling Up Nutrition programme," Mr Woolley said.

He said the UK would also continue to support social protection through the Zambian Government’s social cash transfer programme.

He was also elated with the announcement by President Hakainde Hichilema last week to extend the coverage of the Government’s social protection programme.

Mr Woolley said the UK would support the rollout so that up to a million more of those most in need can receive emergency payments to prevent them going hungry.