ZAMBIA: Catholic Sisters in Zambia Launch Six-Month Covid19 Awareness Campaign
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
In a bid to mitigate the impact of Covid19 pandemic in the society, the Catholic Sisters in Zambia under their umbrella body Zambia Association of Sisterhoods (ZAS) have launched a six-month Covid19 prevention and vaccine awareness campaign as a strategy to help “reduce severe illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths” in the county.
In a statement shared with AMECEA Online Monday, August 16, ZAS Executive Chairperson Sr. Sylvia Kagulura noted that “the battle against the pandemic demands concerted efforts from both the public and private sector’s support in education on Covid-19 protection, behavioral change, communication, advocacy on the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines and provision of medical equipment and supplies.”
Sr. Kagulura who is Provincial Superior of the Little Servants of Mary Immaculate (LSMI) appreciates Zambia’s Ministry of Health (MoH) for “providing epidemiological highlights of Covid-19 and the National Response Actions to the Pandemic through strategies to stop transmission” of the lethal Coronavirus disease.
The campaign program set to run for a period of six months till December 2021, targets 1,200 healthcare providers including Catholic nuns and aims to build the capacity of frontline health workers including doctors, nurses, clinical officers, lab, pharm and radio technicians on Covid-19 prevention through educational training, information on Covid-19 vaccine and administration and psycho-spiritual support forums to workers and those affected by the pandemic.
In the Monday statement, the ZAS Executive Health Representative Sr. Dr. Margaret Mweshi disclosed that Catholic Sisters are well known to be actively involved in the “implementation of human development aimed at improving the lives of the disadvantaged and the vulnerable in society.”
“From time immemorial, they (Sisters) have labored to make basic healthcare accessible to the most vulnerable in far-reaching areas,” Sr. Mweshi a member of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi, explained further.
The Sisters run a total of 54 health facilities spread in 11 Catholic Dioceses in the country in coordination with Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).
Given the extensive distribution of the health facilities in the country and also the unwavering commitment in the provision of health Sr. Mweshi says, “We are very confident that we can work as Ambassadors in the Covid-19 vaccine dissemination and provision of adequate information especially in far-flung areas where we serve.”
According to ZAS leadership, the campaign will further procure for the 54 Sister-run health facilities Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, Covid-19 test kits, latex gloves, surgical masks, face shields, thermo guns, refilling oxygen cylinders and pulse oximeter.
Speaking on behalf of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation that has funded the project, Sr. Jane Wakahiu, LSOSF, an associate Vice President of program operations and head of Catholic Sisters at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation acknowledged the Sisters campaign initiative saying, “We are proud to support the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods in this important work to make Covid-19 vaccines more accessible to communities throughout the country.”
ZAS’ mission is to support women Religious in their formation and evangelization by offering relevant programs that meet their diverse development and spiritual needs, and the ZAS Health Network operates under the umbrella of the ZCCB, Churches Association of Zambia (CHAZ) and collaborates with the Ministry of Health to achieve the 2017-2021 Health Strategic Goals to improve the health status of people in Zambia in order to contribute to increased productivity and socio-economic development.
