LUSAKA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Friday launched a strategic plan that will steer the provision of quality health care services to citizens in the next five years.
The National Health Strategic Plan, which runs from 2017-2021 will be implemented under the theme "Transformative agenda with focus on primary health care through preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services as close to the family as possible".
Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said during the launch that the plan gives the country a roadmap on the steps needed to be taken to drive the country's health sector in the next five years.
The plan, he said, was anchored on the country's Seventh National Development Plan (SNDP), an overall roadmap for the country's development in the coming five years.
He said the plan defines the key priorities and key areas the ministry will be focusing on in order to improve the health care system in the country.
"The focus of the plan is strengthening the health system to ensure universal health coverage using primary health care. It is meant to produce a healthy and productive population to drive economic development," he said.
The plan is anchored on seven pillars namely improving health service delivery, ensuring adequate human resource, ensuring steady supply of drugs, ensuring health care financing, ensuring adequate health care infrastructure, improving health information systems and ensuring leadership and governance in the health sector.
United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinate Janet Rogan welcomed the government's decision to launch the plan, adding that it will help in tackling various challenges facing the health sector in the country.
She said the health sector faces various challenges such as emergency of non-communicable diseases and inadequate investment, adding that Zambia needed a comprehensive approach in tackling challenges in the health sector.
