Key strategies in improving health system in ending cholera
- By Christopher Kalumba, President of the Public Health Association of Zambia (PHAZ).
- Improving Water and Sanitation services
Accessing quality water is a fundamental human right for all Zambian. Government should continue and strongly to improve access to quality water, good sanitation and hygiene to all Zambian.
Not accessing quantity and quality water is a failure of Government because access to safe water is basic human right.
- Comprehensive approach to health
Government should not only define health only as clinical care and diagnostic services but also strong emphasis on prevention and promotive services.
Increasing human resource particularly to prevention will help us to fight a winning battle than now. Public Health profession and Environmental health are equal to the task in providing adequate preventive and promotive services with well funded activities. this requires strong political will in prevention activities.
The challenge there is strong bias towards curative health workforce than preventive health workforce.
Health is about improving the conditions where people live and work and taking preventive activities at household level in the community.
- Health beyond Ministry of Health
Addressing Health Comprehensively should involve many sectors, NGOs and even other corporating partners. Health is beyond Ministry of health and if we continue defining health as defined under Ministry of health only will never end cholera.
4.Government should strongly Invest resources in prevention and promotive services through Public Health approach. If we continue to recruit more in curative services and not many in prevention will continue to suffer from cholera.
Preventive activities should be ongoing activities and not only during rain season or when we have a pandemic like covid 19. If we only respond to outbreak during rain season then will never end Cholera.
