By Scoop Reporter
ZAMBIA has called for concerted effort from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in combating outbreaks such as COVID, Ebola, cholera, and monkey pox among others as they know no boundary.
Zambia High Commission to India Chargé d’ Affaires, Victor Mukonka, made the clarion call on Tuesday during the SADC Heads of Missions meeting held in New Delhi, saying it is important that the SADC community fights as a unit to manage these outbreaks.
Professor Mukonka, who is also Counsellor-Health at the Mission, said the onus is on SADC members to ensure they work together and that that if such outbreaks are managed at regional level, the positive spill-over effects will render positive outcomes even at continental level.
“A number of these outbreaks we experience such as Ebola, cholera, and monkey pox know no boundaries and so, we have to fight as a block especially in the SADC region for us to achieve intended goals.
“There is need for collaboration to manage pandemics at the regional and global level, particularly in establishing strong health systems like Public Health Institutes as agents for health security in our region,” Prof. Mukonka said.
And Prof. Mukonka implored the region to support Zambia following President Hakainde Hichilema’s recognition as Global Champion in ending cholera in the world by the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) as well as incoming Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security.
Actually the SADC protocol is anchored on such collaboration. We need to work as a unit to combat these diseases.
Cooperation is power