The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) in partnership with Standard Chartered Bank Zambia (Stanchart) has handed over COVID-19 test kits and Oxygen Cylinders worth about half a million kwacha to government through Ministry of Health (MOH).

Speaking when he received the items, MOH Permanent Secretary- Technical Services Professor Lackson Kasonka, thanked CIDRZ and Stanchart for pioneering this important gesture at the time when the government was doing its best to vaccinate more people to protect them from the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When we see partners like CIDRZ and Stanchart coming on board, we are very excited. This is a battle for everyone, and the fourth wave is associated with a very stubborn variant called the Omicron and several scientific studies show that it’s a more difficult variant to deal with. So, we need to prepare ourselves and see that we don’t regret our progress made this far,” said Prof Kasonka.

He said the political leadership of Zambia does not want to close any economic activities as the country needed to recover the economy and learn to live with covid through developed strategies to circumvent its adverse impact which is what CIDRZ and StarnChart have demonstrated through this gesture.

“The focus now till the end of the year is to ensure that we escalate the vaccination coverage as we still remain vulnerable as a community due to low numbers of vaccinated people. I am appealing to the members of the public to get vaccinated aside from observing the COVID-19 prevention measures such as the five Golden Rules,” he said.

And speaking at the same event, CIDRZ Chief Executive Officer Dr Izukanji Sikazwe thanked MOH for allowing CIDRZ through various partnerships with key stakeholders such as StanChart to contribute to the well-being of Zambian citizens.

Dr Sikazwe said CIDRZ provided technical expertise in the procurement of the COVID-19 Qiagen Extration kits/MOQ2 and 50 litters Oxygen Cylinders with other accessories worth about ZMW 500,000.00 whilst StanChart provided the financial support towards the purchase of the items.

She said that some of the activities CIDRZ had been doing in the last 3 months towards the Covid- 19 response using funds from various donors, particularly the United States government through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United States Agency for International Development, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.

 “We have supported MOH with funding worth over USD 400,000.00 that has been airmarked towards technical support at national level as well us provincial level in terms of setting up the vaccination program. We have also recruited healthcare workers, 126 nurses with a target of 170 to support the COVID-19 Response. Further we have procured various items such as laboratories diagnostics for the PCR testing and other consumables for COVID-19 testing, Personal Protective Equipment and facilitated trainings, orientations for the covid vaccination programs as well as awareness and sensitization programs that have run on several media platforms in all the provinces around the country.” Said Dr Sikazwe.

Meanwhile, StanChart Head of Corporate Affairs Ms Christine Matambo said her Bank was honoured to play a role in channelling financing to where it is needed the most and for the opportunity to deliver on the Banks pledge to be a force for good in the communities where it operated.

Ms Matambo said the country had made strides in the fight against COVID-19 which is highly commendable but cannot rest on this success alone as the pandemic had continued to affect many lives and businesses.

“This is why Standard chartered Bank is delighted to join efforts to fight COVID by stepping up to support the demand for testing and oxygen in our hospitals, especially during the resurgence of positive cases” said Ms Matambo.