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Mr Chairman
New Zealand appreciates the informative presentation made by the delegation of Zambia, and thanks the Government for submitting such a comprehensive and balanced national report. The report shows that the Zambian Government is committed to improving the rights of its citizens, and is engaging constructively with civil society and the international community to address human rights issues in a transparent and genuinely democratic manner. This was just underlined by Permanent Secretary Imbwae’s announcement that Zambia will extend standing invitations to all special rapporteurs.
New Zealand welcomes this opportunity today to engage in dialogue with the Government of Zambia.
In paragraph 78 of its report, the Government of Zambia refers to the challenges it is facing in the provision of health services and notes that the Maternal Mortality Ratio remains high due to a high percentage of unskilled home deliveries and limited access to facilities. It also notes that, although overall infant and child mortality rates have declined, they remain of concern.
New Zealand welcomes the positive steps being taken by Zambia to address maternal, neonatal and child health, as detailed in paragraphs 79 to 83 of its report, and would appreciate any information the delegation is able to share on current levels of engagement with practitioners at the community level who are involved in programmes focussing on maternal, neonatal and child health, and the extent to which their experiences are being taken into account in the development of national strategies to improve health standards in these areas.
If this is not already happening, New Zealand recommends that the Government of Zambia consider developing a strategy that ensures that the experiences of these community-level practitioners are taken into account in the development of its national strategies to improve health standards in these areas.
Thank you Mr Chairman
