Zambian Red Cross Delegation Visits Pneumonia Reduction Projects in Amhara Region
A delegation from Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) paid an exchange learning visit to the Ethiopian Red Cross Society’s Pneumonia Reduction Project implementation sites in South Gondar Zone of the Amhara Regional State.
Financed by the Netherlands Red Cross Society (NLRS) the Pneumonia Reduction Project aims at reducing under-five morbidity and mortality due to Pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Infections.
The Ethiopian Red Cross and Zambian Red Cross Societies are among the five African Red Cross Societies implementing the project. Interventions of the project include awareness raising of communities, health promotion, support of vaccination programs, material provisions and introduction of cook stoves among others.
Being implemented in selected districts in Amhara, Oromia and Somali Regional States in Ethiopia, the project targets to reach 56,000 under-five children from each region every year.
The visiting team took time to discuss with officials of Zonal Red Cross Branches, Health Centers & Health Posts and witness Income Generating Activities (IGAs) by zonal and district branches in addition to a stop over to the direct beneficiaries of the Project.
Head of the delegation and Health Board Chair of the Zambian Red Cross Dr. Evaristo Kunka says the visit has been a success in terms of emulating best experiences to take back home as well as comments to be considered in the course of the project.
ZRCS Health Project Manager Cosmas Sakala says they were especially impressed by community sensitization and conversation works of the project which is customized to the communities’ culture. The Cook Stoves which are being produced from cement in Ethiopia are also worth duplicating as they appear to be more durable than the ones in Zambia which are made of clay. Yet, introduction of chimney was suggested to make it more favorable.
NLRS Project Manager Selam Seje says such visits offer opportunities to augment the effectiveness of projects. According to the Project Manager, the recent visit has been fruitful in terms of exchange of good practices and the comments forwarded from the visiting team would be incorporated depending on the context.
A team drawn from the Pneumonia Reduction Project in Ethiopia has paid similar learning exchange visit to Zambia in April this year.