Zambians Optimistic Of Eradicating Malaria

By Paul Shalala in Kalulushi 

Most Zambians are optimistic of eradicating malaria soon, this is according to results of a poll whose results where recently released under a report titled Malaria Futures For Africa.

The report, which was commissioned by Novartis Social Business and released in the second week of April, reveals that Zambians are very optimistic of eradicating malaria.

68 malaria experts in 14 Sub Saharan countries, who included Ministers of Health, lawmakers, non governmental organisations and other stakeholders were interviewed in preparation of this report.

Malaria is one of the diseases which Zambia grapples with.

This is largely due to lack of access to insecticide treated mosquito nets which most people in rural areas cannot afford to buy.

Zambia is endowed with many rivers, lakes and swamps and these water bodies act as breeding grounds for malaria, a disease which is spread by mosquitoes.

The report, which was chaired by Dr Richard Kamwi and Professor Bob Snow, shows that Zambia is among many African countries where residents are optimistic that malaria will be eliminated.

The report also showed that respondents in Zambia are optimistic of the level of funding and domestic policy as well as the political support for the fight against malaria.

But in countries such as Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya, respondents were pessimistic about eradicating the disease.

At the regional level, the report stated that efforts being made were commendable.

"Regional cross border monitoring and outbreak collaborations seem to be working well in East and Southern Africa in controlling malaria and eventually eliminating it," reads the report in part.

Within Zambia, the malaria burden is huge.

The fight against malaria is mainly focused on the continuous use of insecticide treated nets.

The nets are a lifeline for many in the country.

However, some of these nets are abused by fishermen who use them to catch fish.

This trend has been going on for a long time.

When health authorities distribute the nets to fight malaria, fishermen take advantage of them for their fish business.

And during the Copperbelt Provincial commemoration of Malaria Day last week, health authorities revealed that over one million mosquito nets have so far been distributed in all 10 districts to fight the disease.

"In 2017, we distributed 1,600,000 insecticide treated nets across the Copperbelt. This is in an effort to fight malaria. This is an on-going exercise," said Acting Copperbelt Medical Director Dr. Justo Banda.

Dr Banda also disclosed that of all the 10 districts in the province, Kalulushi is the most hit with malaria.

"In 2017, Kalulushi was recording 530 cases of malaria per 1,000 population. This is higher than the provincial average," he added.

Kalulushi is a small mining town which has a number of watheatre bodies and vast forests, perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

In this district, authorities are distributing mosquito nets occasionally.

And during the Malaria Day commemorations at Kasamba Grounds, there was a near stampede when dozens of men and women queued to collect free nets which were being given out by officials from the Ministry of Health.

It had to take Police officers to control the crowd for people to collect the nets in an orderly way.

This just shows how desperate the situation is in fighting the disease in the area.

People have challenges in accessing the nets using their own money.

Globally, Malaria is expected to be eradicated by 2030 and in Zambia, the government plans to beat that target by eradicating the disease 10 years earlier.

This is why mosquito nets are being procured and distributed in their millions. 

Zambia belongs to a grouping of eight Southern African countries which are working together to eliminate malaria by 2030.

The grouping, which is called Elimination 8, aims to "Enable and accelerate zero transmission in the four front-line countries by 2020 and the second line countries by 2030 through the provision of a joint platform for collaboration and joint strategic programming."

The eight countries in this grouping are Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Swaziland are classified as front-line countries while the rest are considered second-line countries in the fight against malaria.

Zambian Activists Launch ‘Team No Shame About HIV+’ Campaign

Some of the activists who are part of the campaign
  -Photos by Rise Up To HIV

By Paul Shalala

Over a dozen Zambian youths living with HIV and those who are passionate about fighting the spread of the virus have taken to social media to launch a campaign dubbed ‘Team No Shame About HIV+.’

The youths aim to raise awareness about their HIV status and inspire others to come out in the open and live positive lives.

In a country where being HIV positive is sometimes associated with bad behaviour, these activists want to inspire others to defy stigma and walk with their heads high.

The ‘No Shame About Being HIV+’ campaign is using personal stories from HIV activists wearing t-shirts with the message No Shame About HIV+.

The activists occasionally wear the t-shirts without feeling any shame and to them, this is one way of fighting the stigma attached to HIV.

Benjamin: The lead advocate

The activists promote the social media campaign using framed photos created by US-based activist Kevin Maloney.

“Kevin is the one who inspired us to come up with the T-shirt campaign just as they are doing in the USA. The other message we are trying to use as a campaign is the U=U meaning Undetectable = Untransmittable). This is aimed at encouraging HIV positive people to do their viral load tests and not just thinking about their CD4. We are doing both campaingns using social media in collaboration with Rise Up To HIV,” said Benjamin Sakala, the activist spearheading the campaign.

42 year old Benjamin has been HIV+ since 2007 and he occasionally posts messages of encouragement to people living with HIV on his Facebook page.

“I'm not a Hero, I just face reality head-on. The fact is HIV lives with me but no virus is in control of my life. The fight continues, Together We Can! I belong to ‘Team No Shame About Being HIV+,’ One story, One T-shirt at a time,” reads one of Benjamin’s recent status when he launched the campaign on Facebook.

Benjamin Sakala

Benjamin has an interesting story.

He started his advocacy a long time ago and on the way, dozens of other people living with HIV have joined him.

“My journey with HIV began in September 2007 to be precise after having unprotected sex with my partner. I later discovered she was living with HIV but deliberately decided to conceal that information. I’m not here to compete with anyone but to just add my voice and also encourage someone out there still failing to cope with the reality of living with HIV,” he says.

He was born on 7th July 1975. 

He was married and had two children but he legally divorced in 2015 after being separated from his wife and kids for over 8 years.

After being told of his HIV status in 2007, Benjamin became an advocate on social media.

He embarked on a special crusade using social media to share his story.

“As at today, i don't really know how stigma feels because I have never experienced it. My life with HIV is an open book which I freely share with thousands every year. My encouragement to those still failing to come out in the open due to shame, stigma, fear and denial is please find someone you can confide in. Besides, you are not the first or the last one.”

Precious: The activist who once opted for suicide

Another activist who is part of the ‘Team No Shame About HIV+’ campaign is 24 year old Precious Kaniki, the youngest among the activists.

She is a social worker by profession who spent the years 2013 and 2014 studying at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka while in denial of her HIV status.

She currently works for AIDS Healthcare Foundation as an HIV Medic and Youth Coordinator.

Precious got aware of the status at a tender age and at some point she was contemplating suicide.

Precious Kaniki

She shares her story below.

“Am a young lady living with HIV, I got to know I was positive in my 9th grade. I got sick from that time and I even got used to it but when I came to know my status I wanted to end my life.

I saw no future for my life, my dream of becoming an electro engineering was shattered, I thought living my life was useless. Life was a toy to me as all my dreams were seen as a total failure. Much worse I was in denial resulting in my personal, spiritual and academic life being impacted negatively,” said Precious.

She says for seven years, she refused to accept her HIV status.

When she passed her Grade eight examinations, she went to Grade ten where she was put in a Pure Sciences class.

She explains that while in that class, she saw no need for her to study hard as she expected herself to die before completing Grade 12.

“With that thinking, I stopped studying. The only time I was studying is when the teachers were teaching. I stopped taking my drugs, I only took them when I started having a cough or getting sick, at one point my CD4 count reached 19. I was the happiest girl because I thought only 18 counts to go and I will be no more.”

A turning point in Precious’ life came in 2014 when she lost too much weight and weighed a meagre 35 kilograms.

She says at that time, she did not pray to die but to recover to make her parents proud by passing her Social Work program she was studying.

On a lighter note, Precious is dating and she adds: "My man is actually HIV negative."

Alintula Nakawala

“Am happy to say I fully live my life now without being ashamed of being HIV positive, I know someone would want to know how I became positive. That doesn't matter, what matters is how I live my positive life moreover we won't go back 10 years ago and change the circumstance that led me to became positive. I always keep my promise to adhere to my drugs and put a smile on my face in any situation am in. Know your status, better knowing than not knowing,” said Precious.

Traditional practice gone wrong

One of the youngest members of the ‘Team No Shame About HIV+’ is 26 year old Alintula Nakawala who has been on HIV treatment for the past 14 years.

Alintula was born in a family of three but now she is the only one surviving having lost all her siblings and parents.

Her father past away in 1993 and her mother followed in 2006.

“I have lived a life of rejection, discrimination and stigma but I still manage to walk with my head high because am not ashamed of who I am. Living with HIV has been a challenge I have accepted because I can't change it but I can fight it,” said Alintula.

She says she got the HIV virus through a tradition practice performed by her aunt.

“I got infected by my aunt through tattooing. She was told to put her menstrual blood which she did on me without knowing that she was HIV positive. I was just a young girl by then, some where around the age of eightoro nine.”

Reverend Bweupe: A clergyman with a mission of saving others from HIV

Reverend Stuart Bweupe

Another activist in the campaign is Staurt Bweupe, a 49 year old Reverend in the Anglican Church.

Reverend Bweupe has a sad story which i broke on this blog two years ago.

His aim in coming out open about his status is to inspire other clergymen who are living with HIV to live positively.

"Am not happy to be HIV+, I have suffered but am alive by the Grace of God," reads a recent status on Reverend Bweupe's Facebook page.

His coming out open was not easy as he suffered stigma from his close friends, relatives and fellow church leaders.

At one point, he was blocked from conducting Sunday services in church as the church leadership debated what to do with him following his public disclosure.

But over the years, he has risen above negativity and now presides over his congregation in Kabwe without opposition.

Brenda: My husband hid his HIV status from me

Another activist with an unfortunate story is 43 year old Brenda Musenga.

Brenda Musenga

She has been living with HIV for over nine years now but she fully accepts her status and uses it to fight stigma.

“I’m stigma proof. I was a virgin the time i got married and we used to go for Voluntary Counselling and Testing with my husband every after three months and always the results were negative. But the time my hubby found out he was HIV positive, he stopped me from testing. Without me knowing, he was put on medication and when I came across the medicine one day, he told me it was for energy,” said Brenda in an interview.

Brenda says in June 2007, a few months after she saw her husband’s medication, she secretly went for VCT and her results came out positive.

She says life was not easy for her.

“In the first few months, it was not easy for me to disclose even to my family. I went through shame and today am a living testimony. I go out in the community and help children, women and youths living with the virus. I also started a support group and we basically focus on HIV issues.”

Brenda says her husband was living in denial and he stopped taking anti-retro viral drugs leading to complications.

Unfortunately, he died in March 2008, leaving her with her own three children and a fourth one he fathered outside of wedlock.

“I have passed through rejection which is still happening up to now. This has really made me strong and I continue to stand up and fight HIV,” said Brenda.

Through these touching stories on social media, these HIV activists hope to fight stigma and 'free' more people living with HIV from living in denial.

The 'Team No Shame About HIV+' campaign is also beefed up by other youths who do not live with the HIV virus.

These are Zambian youths who have a heart for an AIDS free society and go as far as they can to spread the news for positive living among those who deny their HIV status.

How Two Lepers Found Love And Raised A Family In A Hospital

Kenneth, his wife Grace and their grandchildren sitting
outside their one roomed house at the Leprosarium

By Paul Shalala in Zambezi

Some stories are very sad.

But sad as they maybe, they have a happy tinge in them.

The story of 86 year old Kenneth Samanenga and his wife Grace Kachana 76, is one of these.

Their story is an old one.

They met here at Chitokoloki leprosarium in Zambezi District in the North Western Province.

Both were patients as lepers and they found love at the hospital despite their affliction.

Kenneth came to the leprosarium as a single man in 1952.

He lived here until he was treated.

When he was discharged, Kenneth found that he had nowhere to go.

Family members he had left in the village had moved elsewhere and those that remained did not want to have anything to do with him.

Finding himself with no place to go, Samanenga returned to the leprosarium.

Like many lepers who are healed, the disease had left its mark: he lost his toes and fingers.

And meeting Grace was a blessing in disguise.

“We got married in 1978 and God has blessed us with children and grand children. We live here with all of them. This is our home,” said the smiling Kenneth.

His wife also has her version of the story.

“I was born in 1941 and I came for help here at the leprosarium in 1952. We got married and we now keep our children and their children here. I love my husband and we live happily,” said Grace.

The two have been married for the past 39 years.......years happily spent here at the leprosarium.

Two of their children and their five grand children also live here.

The leprosarium at Chitokoloki is a busy place.

In fact it is more than a leprosarium – it is a colony.

There are 150 houses specifically built for lepers.

This is perhaps the biggest and oldest leprosarium in the country.

The only other known leprosy centers in Zambia are at Liteta in Chibombo District and at Ibenga in Masaiti District.

The leprosarium at Chitokoloki is said to have been started by missionaries Suckling and Thomas Hansen around 1928.

Despite having no medical background Suckling and Thomas carried to the best of their abilities, providing drugs, food and clothing to their patients.

According to historical records, the history of this place is closely tied to Dr. James Worsfold who pioneered leprosy work in Chikoloki in the 1940’s.

Today, the leprosarium is more of a place of refuge for many who are now unable to return home.

Some of the oldest residents here do not even want to go back home.

They prefer to continue living here.

“I have spent many years here. They keep us well and I do not want to go back home. Am comfortable just here,” said one of the lepers in an interview.

And some people, who are attending to patients at the hospital, also occupy some of these houses meant for lepers.

Thankfully today, the number of leprosy patients has gone down drastically.

Only the likes of Kenneth and Grace who have only known this life here for the major part of their lives now remain.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was first produced as a documentary and it was aired on TV1's Morning Live program on 08 June 2017 and it can be watched here.

Poverty In America: Military Veterans, Health And Homelessness

By Paul Shalala in Syracuse, New York

The Syracuse VA Hospital

The United States is referred to as the land of opportunities, the land of plenty and the land of the free.

Americans pride themselves with so many inventions, an admirable system of governance and the largest economy.

With one of the modest and well funded militaries in the world, the US recruits thousands of people into its armed forces per year.

At the same time, thousands more are discharged due to age, injury or bad behavior.

Across the United States, millions of former soldiers (veterans) are re-integrated into society while others who cannot afford housing are kept by the federal government in some facilities.

"We currently have 21 million veterans from the various departments under the military," said Robert McLean, a Public Affairs Officer at the Syracuse Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital.

The hospital cares for former servicemen from the 13 counties of northern and western New York State.

Mr McLean, a former US Marine, says the Syracuse VA Hospital has an annual budget of $290 million, most of which goes towards paying of salaries for the 1, 700 employees.

The hospital offers various health services such as behavioral change, counselling, dental care, spine care, post traumatic stress, mental treatment and most illnesses connected with war.

Mr McLean, who recently took a group of 2016 Mandela Washington Fellows on a tour of the multi-story facility, revealed that a number of veterans who are homeless and poor are kept and cared for at the hospital.

"We are keeping a number of veterans as you can see. These are people who can not manage to feed themselves. We have a room where they watch TV, a room which is well decorated to reflect a military facility so that it can suit their previous life," said Mr McLean, pointing to a wall which has pictures of fighter jets, US flags and soldiers.

For poor soldiers who can not afford to be treated at expensive hospitals, VA hospitals is their home until the day they will breathe their last.

But for veterans who are poor but still energetic, the Department of Veterans Affairs has a program were they source for land and build houses for the former soldiers and resettle them.

During the tour, this blogger saw a number of resident veterans who were confined to wheelchairs but were actively moving around.

McLean briefing the Mandela Washington Fellows

The veterans have another open room where they play sports to keep them fit.

On an annual basis, an average of 47,000 veterans are treated at the Syracuse VA Hospital.

The Department of Veterans Affairs runs several of such hospitals across the US and offers these same services to veterans within the 50 states.

The department has an annual budget of $169 billion and according to Mr McLean, it is the second largest US Cabinet agency.

Apart from health care, the department also provides benefits to veterans, handles burials and runs cemeteries where veterans are buried.

Jacob Mulenga: Footballer, Cancer Activist And Donor

Jacob Mulenga

By Paul Shalala

He is generally known for his scoring exploits in the Chipolopolo outfit, the popular name for the Zambia national soccer team.

When the name Jacob Mulenga comes up, its football that comes to mind.

The 31 year old striker has in his decade long career played for a number of clubs in Zambia, F.C. Strasbourg and Chateauroux in France, Adana Demirspor in Turkey, Utrecht F.C. in The Netherlands and is currently playing for Shijiazhuang Ever Bright F.C. in China.

At the national level, Jacob has 42 caps and scored nine goals for Chipolopolo.

Well, that is only one side of Jacob.

But it is time to meet Jacob the humanitarian.

Unknown to many Jacob Mulenga, our soccer export to China, is a compassionate star whose heart has gone out to fight cancer.

In short he is a cancer activist and donor.

For years, this prolific striker has been making monthly contributions to the Cancer Support Network of Zambia (CSNZ).

These contributions have helped the organisation reach out to the most needy in society.

Part of the money he has donated has been used to refurbish a ward which has been adopted by the Cancer Support Network at the Kitwe Central Hospital.

"Jacob has been a great contributor to the fight against cancer in Zambia. He has been helping us financially here in Kitwe where he hails from," said Bishop Bolden Chihana, CSNZ Finance Director.

This gesture has not gone unnoticed.

As a son of the city of Kitwe, Jacob is perhaps giving back to the town that first received him.

Jacob celebrating after scoring for Zambia

"As government we really appreciate the role Jacob is playing. We realise that Zambia has produced many footballers who are playing abroad. But as Kitwe, we are proud of Jacob who has made an impact in the fight against cancer here," said Mwape Kasanda, Kitwe District Administrative Officer.

About K20, 000 donated by Jacob and other donors was spent to buy beds, bed sheets, flat screen TVs and several other assorted items which are now in a ward at the Kitwe Central Hospital which has since been adopted by CSNZ.

In the next few months, the Cancer Support Network with the help of its donors, is expected to adopt two more wards at the hospital.

This adoption will also add to the many other projects the organisation wants to embark on such as building a cancer hospital at Baluba area in Luanshya and conducting sensitisations on cancer in various communities across the Copperbelt.

Shortage Of Doctors In Zambia Now Hits 3,000

By Paul Shalala in Ndola

Patients queing at Kanyama Clinic in Lusaka

Long queues at clinics and hospitals are a normal occurrence in Zambia, a country that is plagued by various diseases such as HIV/AIDS, cholera and malaria.

The lack of enough man power at health facilities is part of the problem that has led to patients queuing at health facilities for long hours.

In rural areas, the situation is even worse as patients walk several kilometers from their villages to the clinic and spend more hours waiting to be attended to.

Some critically ill patients die on their way to the hospitals due to lack of proper roads and ambulances in rural areas.

And in some health facilities, there are no trained medical personnel to attend to patients.

In some areas, cleaners and office orderlies who are not trained in medicine, attend to patients and give out prescriptions.

Currently, Zambia has 1,500 doctors and has a shortage of 3,000 more.

At the University Teaching Hospital, Zambia’s largest health referral center in Lusaka, doctors are overwhelmed with work.

Some give out appointments to patients six months or a year away.

This situation has led to patients dying as they wait for their appointments.

And some doctors have also started running their own private clinics to cash in on the shortage of doctors.

According to some patients, doctors give them long appointments or encourage them to visit their private clinics where there are no queues and they can be attended to the same day.

According to the World Health Organisation, the normal doctor-patient ratio is 1 doctor per 5,000 patients but Zambia has one of the most abnormal doctor-patient ratio which now stands at 1 doctor per 12,000 patients.

At present, Zambia only has two government run institutions that train doctors plus a few private ones and their output is not enough to reduce the deficit in the coming years.

The University of Zambia and the Copperbelt University produce about 200 doctors per year and at the rate at which these medical personnel seek greener pastures abroad, the number of doctors in Zambia may not reach the required level.

To try and mitigate this problem, the Zambian government and the Jewish Council of Zambia have partnered to construct a school of medicine in the northern city of Ndola which is projected to produce doctors on an annual basis.

The School will be under the Kitwe-based Copperbelt University whose current School of Medicine is squatting at the Ndola Central Hospital were there is inadequate space for students.

The US$5 million project has already progressed and is scheduled to be completed in June 2015.

Sogecoa Zambia Limited, the Chinese construction company which is constructing the school, is scheduled to complete phase one of the project in June and hand it over to government.

Professor Kasonde Bowa

Dean of the School of Medicine at the Copperbelt University Professor Kasonde Bowa says it can take Zambia over 15 years to produce the 3,000 needed doctors if nothing is done to improve the training of doctors.

“Currently, the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University will take over a decade to offset the deficit. But with the new school of university under construction, it will only take less than 7 years to normalize the doctor-patient ratio,” said Professor Bowa.

According to the plans by the Copperbelt University, the School of Medicine will be producing 250 doctors and 50 dentists on an annual basis.

This effort, though a bit insignificant, will help beef up the numbers for medical personnel in Zambia to reduce the long queues patients have become used to when they are seeking medical attention.