The withdrawal of development aid by the Danish government will have serious consequences on the Zambian people, says a former Health Minister in the Southern African country, Professor Nkandu Luo, to the Lusaka-based newspaper, “The Post” Wednesday.
Commenting on the decision by Denmark to cut bilateral aid to Zambia, Prof Luo wondered why her government had not gone into discussions with the Danes to find out what their concerns were for withdrawing aid.
– This brings a lot of sad reading because this is not the first time that donors have decided to withhold money, Prof Luo said.
She said it was sad that despite the warnings received from the donor community last year, no attempts had been made to sit down with them and address their concerns.
Prof Luo said ordinary Zambians especially women and children would be the most affec-ted by Denmarks withdrawal of aid.
Denmark supports Zambia in areas of good governance, environment, the road sector and HIV and AIDS.
Prof Luo asked the government to explain what strategies had been put in place in an event that more donors withdrew funding.
TOMME SUNDHEDSCENTRE
She said according to the picture around most health centres in the country, patients including people living with HIV and AIDS had to buy most things for themselves.
– Is this going to continue and are the majority of people who are poor going to be able to meet the demands and buy every drug they need? I am greatly concerned with the withdrawal and I am extremely sad, Prof Luo said.
The Swedish government has since withheld budgetary support, one of the four sectors in which she operates, to Zambia
And Prof Luo said she was very surprised that despite criticism and concerns raised by the various sectors of society, the government went ahead and procured mobile clinics.
– Every sector of civil society and people expressed concern that we do not need them in Zambia but this fell on deaf ears, she noted.
She wondered which roads the mobile clinics would be travelling on looking at the bad state of most roads in the country.
Se også telegrammerne
http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/nyhed/20-01-11/s-ren-pind-dropper-zambia-benin-og-cambodja-fra-da
http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/nyhed/20-01-11/dansk-afrika-kender-fra-uegennytte-i-bistanden-til
http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/nyhed/20-01-11/pind-vi-tr-kker-os-ud-af-3-lande-af-strategiske-he
http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/nyhed/21-01-11/ambassad-rer-sure-p-pind
