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Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya (Picture by Nakaonga Nakaonga)
Zambia has called on the Commonwealth to pool resources for a collective campaign against Non Communicable Diseases.
Zambia is experiencing an epidemiological transition culminating in a complex dual burden of disease of Communicable and Non Communicable Diseases.
Minister of health Dr Chitalu Chilufya said this during the Commonwealth Ministers of Health meeting on Non Communicable Diseases and Universal Health Coverage on the sidelines of the 71st World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
He says Non Communicable Diseases have placed a heavy burden on the health systems and result in loss of productivity, premature deaths and poverty.
Dr Chilufya says Zambia has undertaken a STEPS survey to establish a baseline and platform for NCD risk factors.
He further states that government has adopted the Health in all Policy summoning al sectors to consider the health of citizens as central in policy making.
He adds that government has reengineered the health sector to introduce the Directorate of health promotion Environment and Social Determinants which is mandated to craft appropriate health promoting messages to empower people to avoid risks.
Dr Chilufya says as a member of the World Health Organisation framework convention on tobacco control, Zambia has crafted a bill on tobacco products control.
Meanwhile Zambia has reaffirmed its support for priority recommendations made in confronting Non Communicable Diseases in the Commonwealth.
This contained in a statement issued by Ministry of Health Head Communications and External Relations Stanlous Ngosa.