The Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals (ACEIDHA) team visited Chirundu Border station to be part of the training of local COVID-19 sensitisation task force by the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI). 

ZNPHI Director, Prof Victor Mukonka, praised ACEIDHA for the financial support rendered to national COVID-19 strategies to combat the outbreak in Zambia. He said the donated funds would be put to good use. Prof Mukonka also called for multi-sectoral approach and surveillance as a means to manage and control outbreaks of infectious diseases.

And Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine, Prof King Nalubamba, who was leading the ACEIDHA team in Chirundu, said that it was an honour to partner with ZNPHI in the fight against COVID-19. Prof Nalubamba indicated that ACEIDHA was flagship to building capacity of scientists and researchers through training and research.

Meanwhile, ACEIDHA Centre Leader, Prof Bernard Hang’ombe, said that the Centre was pleased to associate with ZNPHI in the fight against the novel coronavirus. He said that ACEIDHA would continue to contribute to national and global efforts to investigate emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases through training and research.

Recently, ACEIDHA, through the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, contributed US $200,000 to national COVID-19 efforts. The funds, which were sourced from an ACEIDHA partner in the United States, Skolls Foundation of California, were to be used to support sample testing and real-time transmission of data or results from the field to the Ministry of Health Headquarters.

And part of the funds were used to procure mobile phone handsets to be used by local task force members to transmit information from the field to the ZNPHI centres.