A weeklong health care services outreach to two isolated mining communities with approximately 5000 inhabitants in Rufunsa district yielded 332 outpatients attended to, 179 HIV tests conducted, including 39 assisted HIV self-tests, 56 male circumcisions performed, 27 cervical cancer screenings and 8125 condoms distributed.

CIDRZ, through its CDC-funded PROUDZ programme, in collaboration with the Lusaka Provincial Health Office (LPHO) and the Rufunsa District Health Office (RDHO), jointly undertook an integrated health services outreach to two gold mines communities in Rufunsa district with limited access to health care services, with the nearest facility being approximately 40 KM away. 

The RDHO ensured all medical supplies and commodities needed for this outreach were made available, contributing to the successful provision of integrated health services such as Outpatient department, HIV testing, Mother and Child Health, Cervical Cancer screening, VMMC, ART services and initiations and bleeding for Viral load. Rufunsa Director of Health, Dr Peter Kakonde, said, “As a district, we experienced a cholera outbreak with a cumulative number of cases of more than 500; the majority of these cases were linked to the RR mining community. Hence, our plan to go and offer comprehensive HIV and Health services to this community, coming from various places across the country, is critical, considering it suffered hugely during the cholera outbreak and many lives were lost. This outreach will help prevent any recurrence of such loss of lives”.