The Coalition of African Parliamentarian Against HIV and AIDS (CAPAH) officially opened its strategic planning meeting on Saturday 19th March 2022, at Chaminuka Lodge and Nature Reserve, Chongwe, Lusaka.

Honourable Sylvia Masebo, MP, Mister of Health officiated the event on behalf of Her Honour the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, Madam W. K. Nalumango, MP.

In a speech read on behalf of the Vice President, Hon Masebo was impressed that the workshop focused on developing the strategic plan for the organisation and that CAPAH would be guided in terms of vision, mission and key strategies to help the organisation focus on activities that would deliver results within the allocated time. She also noted with gratitude the programme designed to offer solutions based on multisectoral approaches intended to have positive impacts on society, and provided a sense of direction as well as outlined measurable goals.

She reminded the participants that diseases, vulnerabilities and other health challenges were on the increase globally and their impact on economic and social life was evident; with covid-19 giving reasons for the need to collaborate under the umbrella of “ONE HEALTH” approach and safeguard the lives of people by ensuring that animal and plant diseases were addressed in order to reduce the economic and social impacts that such diseases cause in society.

In addition, Honourable Masebo encouraged Members to remain committed to the course of actions that would emerge during the workshop and more importantly the implementation of the strategic plan which was key to how CAPAH’s success would unfold and paid special tribute to CAPAH ZAMBIA Chairperson Honourable Lufuma and his team for championing the one health approach as a strategy for addressing public health security at the human-animal-environment interface.

Speaking at the same event, Honourable Ambrose Lufuma, MP, Minister of Defence and Chairperson of CAPAH indicated the focus areas during the strategic planning meeting which was comprehensive advocacy for effective implementations of legislation and policies in areas such as; integrated health and safety, agriculture, livestock, mining and climate change management.

Furthermore, Honourable Lufuma highlighted some of the innovations that CAPAH already embarked such as undertaking Parliamentary expos in all provinces beginning in August, 2022 in Western and North Western Provinces and the programme to be achieved within the tenure of the Thirteenth Assembly. The objective of the expos is to create sustainable development partnerships at community level and also encouraged Parliamentarians to participate in awareness raising and sensitisation in their constituencies on ONE HEALTH, Honourable Lufuma said.

The Chairperson thanked the stakeholders for accepting the invitation to the strategic plan meeting which ends today, Sunday 20th March, 2022 at Chaminuka Lodge and Nature Reserve, Chongwe, Lusaka.

CAPAH whose membership is open to Members of Parliament and mandate at its inception in the year 2008 at Parliament Buildings is to actively advocate for improved health delivery and robust response to HIV/AIDS in Zambia to promote accountability ownership and ensure sustainability.