Health fund to help Zim, DRC

2008-11-20 16:10

Pretoria - A fund to improve the health of people in southern Africa, particularly those in Zimbabwe and the DRC is to be established, a nurses' organisation said on Thursday.

The solidarity fund would be established "very soon" to help, particularly the two countries which were currently unstable, said chairman of the Southern African Network of Nurses and Midwives (SANNAM) Ephraim Masalo in Pretoria.

The fund would also help other SADC countries.

Masalo said the decision was taken following the organisation's four-day conference, which ended on Thursday.

SANNAM is a regional network of national nursing organisations aimed at improving national health services.

"Anyone can make a contribution in any currency to this fund. We believe the fund comes at a time of need."

He added that the organisation was concerned about the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe and fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which placed health services in jeopardy.

"SANNAM urges the government and other political players in the DRC and Zimbabwe, as a matter of priority, to provide for the basic health needs of their populations and their health professionals."

The conference had raised R2 400 to go towards the fund.

Other than the creation of the solidarity fund, the conference, which included representatives from countries such as Botswana, also voiced concern about the salaries of nurses. These needed to be improved, while working conditions of nurses were also discussed.

"The conditions of work throughout the regions are of concern."

The conference also expressed concerns about attacks on nurses while on duty. In addition more nurses needed to be trained, seeing that many were leaving the continent.

Masalo added that those who had already left for other countries needed to be lured back. He however conceded that "the effects of globalisation cannot be stopped".

- SAPA