Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Hidenobu Sobashima – Japanese Ambassador to Zambia
The Japanese government has provided a grant of about K5.8 million to the promotion of Women’s Health throughout the Life Cycle at One-stop Service Site in Zambia project.
The project which is in its second phase and is spearheaded by the Japanese Organisation for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICEP), aims to improve access to health services for women in Masaiti, Mpongwe and Lufwanyama Districts on the Copper belt Province by developing one stop service facilities which include a maternity waiting house and training members of Safe Motherhood Action Groups (SMAGS) among others.
Speaking during a signing Ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hidenobu Sobashima says his government believes that for Zambia to continue to achieve further development in a sustainable manner, the strengthening of the health sector is important among other sectors.
Mr Sobashima says it is for this reason that Japan intends to contribute to the process in cooperation with its private sector in various ways which also includes funding the project which is expected to benefit over 75, 500 women and girls.
And JOICEP Project General Manager Kumiko Goto says despite the decrease in the maternal mortality ratte, Zambia continues to face challenges such as inequity in the distribution of service between urban and rural areas and inadequate community involvement of Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health.
Ms. Goto says the project will in its second phase establish a center at Mibenge Rural Health Center and that the project will also endeavour to empower adolescent girls so that they can protect themselves from unwanted teenage pregnancies and early marriages.