Service Delivery Charters to Enhance Quality Health

Health Minister Sylvia Masebo cutting the ribbon to handover four Toyota LandCruiser vehicles to the ZNBTS during the launch of the Service Delivery Charters at the Ministry Headquarters in Lusaka.

Health Minister Sylvia Masebo having a feel of one of the four Toyota LandCruiser vehicles handed over to the ZNBTS.

President Hakainde Hichilema’s commitment to provide quality healthcare from the time he was elected to office is bearing fruits as significant developments into all aspects of healthcare have advanced.

This can be witnessed by the recent launch of service delivery charters for statutory boards that have committed to ensure that the Government's desire to provide quality health services to the public is achieved.

The Zambia National Blood Transfusion Service (ZNBTS) is one of the statutory boards that launched and made its service delivery charter public in playing a critical role of saving lives by accessing blood, especially at maternity wards to prevent the loss of a mother and a baby to achieve President Hichilema’s target of reducing maternal mortality rates from 172/100,000 to lower than 100/100,000 live births by 2026.

ZNBTS in 2023 collected 130,000 units of blood and is targeting to collect 260,000 units this year with a goal to collect 400,000 units by 2026 which is sufficient to service the country’s health facilities.

Health Minister Sylvia Masebo said her Ministry places great importance to the provision of quality health services to the people of Zambia as prioritized in the Eighth National Development Plan and National Health Strategic Plan from 2022- 2026.

She also handed over four Toyota Landcruiser vehicles to the ZNBTS at the Ministry Headquarters to ensure access to blood services in all health facilities countrywide in line with President Hakainde Hichilema’s commitment to collect 400,000 units of blood annually by 2026.

The service delivery charters were launched under the theme "Enhanced community Engagement, Innovation and Excellence to service towards Universal Health Coverage".

Ms. Masebo said the theme speaks to the health agenda of the UPND led government, as it focuses on health systems strengthening, health leadership and governance through decentralization.

The Health Minister added that once the Service Delivery Charters are implemented, they will assist the country to attain Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ms. Masebo said the Goals were in line with the Presidential health objectives which are to improve quality of health services at the District level through investments in health facilities, better information management, achieve stable drug supply by streamlining the supply chain management, procurement and making the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) work by unblocking system/framework related challenges.

“Under Maternal Health, the objective is to reduce maternal deaths from (the current status) 172/100,000 to less than 100/100,000 live births by the year 2026. This is in line with the 2022-2026 Health strategic plan objectives,” Ms. Masebo said.

The Minister said the other priority is improving the provision of equitable access for all Zambians by increasing national essential drug availability from 35% to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended 70% by 2026.

“It is therefore important that all institutions should be aware that Maternal Health is a Presidential Priority and Directive, so therefore it should be given the importance it deserves at the highest level of management, implementing agencies and health workers,” the Minister said.

Ms. Masebo further stated that all government institutions have been directed to have Service Delivery Charters in place, in order to enhance provision of quality services and harness accountability for such services to the general public.

Other statutory boards that launched their Service Delivery Charter where the Health Professions Council of Zambia, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Zambia, Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority, National Food Laboratory and the National AIDS Council.

A Service Delivery Charter is a social pact between Statutory Boards and their clients who are citizens. They stipulate the standard of services offered by Statutory Boards. The charters further outline the Statutory Board's obligation to its clients to strengthen accountability.