…we need to look after the 1.3 million people living with the virus, says Dr. M’membe
Lusaka…. Sunday December 1, 2024
Socialist Party (SP) President Dr Fred M’membe has observed the need to allocate more funds towards the fight against HIV/AIDS in the national budget.
Dr. M’membe says the 1.3 million people living with the HIV virus need to have access to proper health care.
He said it is unfortunate that national budgets do not have an allocation towards this scourge and that the nation still depends on the donor community to look after the 1.3 million people living with the virus.
In his World AIDS Day message, Dr. M’membe further observed the need for the national budgets to have a true reflection of the challenges the people are going through such as the issue of HIV/AIDS.
“We have not won the battle of stigma against the people living with HIV AIDS. We have 1.3 million of our people living with HIV but there is no budgetory allocation for this. We still depend on the donor community. If they pulled out today, our people would die,” he said.
“We spend a lot on buying motor cars, roads and other things in the national budget and yet we fail to look after the people and depend on the donor community to look after our people. The budget should reflect the challenges we have as a country.”
The SP Leader said the people living with the virus have the right to proper health care saying this is their entitlement as human right.
“I make a call to Zambians of goodwill, the problem of HIV is still here and our people are still dying. We have not allocated the resources over this issue. Let’s not go to sleep, let’s continue with this struggle until we overcome it,” he added.
And SP General Secretary Dr Cosmas Musumali observed the need to continue with sensitization and awareness saying the scourge is still rampant in the country.
He said in some parts of the country, the scourge is on the rise hence the need to continue with advocacy so that the people are enlightened.
“We still have to fight the scourge especially the young generation. The disease is increasing in some parts of the country. We need to continue with sensitisation and create awareness! We risk the danger of getting back to where we were if we are not careful,” he indicated.
SP Media