adminthe burden of non-communicable diseases in the country.
At the launch, Health and Child Welfare Minister Henry Madzorera hailed Dr Timothy Stamps for establishing the country’s sole trust that targeted improving the healthcare of people living with chronic conditions.
“There is so much work to be done out there especially in improving the care and support of people living with chronic conditions,” he said.
Minister Madzorera said the trust must strive to reach out to all affected persons and ensure that people with chronic conditions have access to medication and treatment by working closely with state medical institutions, NGOs and the corporate world.
Dr Stamps, who is also Special Adviser to the President on health matters, founded the trust in 2004 after being touched by the plight of people living with chronic conditions.
“After 2001 when economic sanctions were imposed on the country by the former colonial power (Britain) and later on by other Western countries, there was a sudden cut-off on health funding support.
We had no time to source alternative financial support for the country’s health sector. Private voluntary organisation chose to support malaria, TB and HIV and Aids programmes leaving out other non-communicable diseases.”
He said malaria, TB and Aids got the bulk of the money at the time overlooking water-borne diseases and other non-communicable diseases such as cancer.
Online Reporter