Sweden unblocks aid to Zambia’s health sector

The Swedish Government, one of Zambia’s closest development partners has unblocked up to 400 million Swedish Kroners equivalent to about US$47.3million meant for improving the Zambian health sector.

The release of the money ends a six-year old dry spell of health aid freeze by Sweden to Zambia after the Nordic country raised concerns regarding financial misapplication.

Zambia’s deputy Ambassador to Sweden Anthony Mukwita in a statement says the aid money will go towards saving babies and mothers, as intended by the donor country.

Mr Mukwita explains that under the agreement, Zambia eill receive an initial 69 million Swedish Kroners, for the programme that will run for a four year period starting from 2015-2019.

He says the assistance from the Swedish government is being extended to Zambia jointly with the Department for International Development (DFID), the development arm of the United Kingdom.

Mr Mukwita states that the Swedish pack in the assistance is 400 million kroners, money which will compliment well existing Zambian health funded projects and reduce mortality rates among mothers and babies significantly.

He adds that a Swedish government team will soon travel to Lusaka to discuss with relevant ministries, how to complete the finance process and ensure procurement and other issues are properly in place and acceptable to both partner countries for finalisation.

Zambia’s health aid from Sweden dipped to an all-time low in 2009 following misapplication of funds in the middle of a five-year agreement for the health sector with the government worth millions of dollars.