By Chinoyi Chipulu
The Medicines Research and Access Platform (MEDRAP) has disclosed that the 2025 national budget that was presented last week, has not allocated any funds towards treatment of cancer patients abroad.
The platform has since called on the government to expedite the completion, rehabilitation and modernisation of the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, to avert the cost of referring cancer patients to other countries for treatment.
In a statement made available to Daily Revelation by MEDRAP communications officer Tinkerbell Mwila, national coordinator Liyoka Liyoka stated that there was need to place more premium on the investment of cancer treatment by optimising the availability of cost effective and efficacious chemotherapeutic agents through stakeholder alliances and lobbying for better market prices.
Liyoka stated that there was also need for a policy change enabling decentralisation of the national drug budget to be allocated to each health institution in all districts.
“MEDRAP recommends a supplementary budget be considered to help mitigate the anticipated increase in uptake of medicines and medical supplies. We submit that the drug budget should be devolved to support functions that were transferred to districts under the local authorities in the 2025 national budget,” he stated.
Liyoka recommend for an additional 3,000 frontline health personnel to be considered for recruitment in 2025.
“We also submit that a component of CDF towards health provision must be dedicated to alleviate the plight of adolescents at local level,” he stated.
And MEDRAP hailed the government for allocating approximately K23.17 billion to the health sector in the 2025 national budget.
He stated that the allocation of the K23.17 billion to the health sector, which represented a 10.7 percent of the total budget, was a step in the right direction.
He stated that with the 10.7 percent budget allocation to the health sector, the country was on the right trajectory of meeting its Abuja declaration commitment, signed in April 2001.
“Some of the notable developments from the budget as being the recruitment of 2000 health staff, procurement of medical supplies and equipment and also the allocations of funds to local authorities through the implementation of the decentralisation policy that will see primary healthcare placed under councils,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Liyoka submitted to the parliamentary committee on health, community development and social services in Lusaka yesterday, that it was clear that the Ministry of Health intended to maintain the target of having qualified personnel at each health facility and had also set a target of 85 percent stock availability in health facilities.
“Our main focus of interest will be to make sure that citizens, including youths, adolescents and especially vulnerable women and girls in rural Zambia that are mostly affected when it comes to sexual reproductive health services are covered and protected through the 2025 budget,” said Liyoka.
