‘Pollen-Lishimpi Co-exist, Mutually’ ……’let’s share health-service delivery burden’

Governance:

‘Pollen-Lishimpi Co-exist, Mutually’
……’let’s share health-service delivery burden’

Lusaka (Zambia Informer) —–Overarching concerns relating to effective public health and service delivery in Zambia amid threats of epidemics heightened by a growing population chiefly in the capital, Lusaka, calls for collaboration for effective implementation of policies and avert calamities.

The Health and Local Government and Rural Development ministries-key in enhancing service delivery to the more than 20 million populaces.

This is to ensure no one is left behind as espoused through devolution of power through a decentralization governance policy have agreed to work together and guard against unexpected shortcomings in safeguard lives and ensure effective service delivery.

The two ministries envisage “the marriage of convenience” will foster collaboration on the management and strengthening of the Primary Health Care (PHC) system, which has since been devolved to local authorities under the decentralisation framework, ‘taking power to the people. ‎

‎There is consensus for joint and regular field inspections to assess the operational status of primary health facilities and to identify practical areas for collaboration between the Ministry of Health and local government structures.

There is a resolution by the two ministries to undertaken a ground assessments and help improve service delivery, accountability and resource utilisation, a joint statement outlining the resolutions reached Tuesday for a mutual relationship between Local Government Permanent Secretary Dr. Gabriel Pollen and his counterpart at health, Dr. Kennedy Lishimpi reads in part.

‎It remains prudent, with the increased demand for quality health and local governance services-under a decentralized order-in which people decide and make own priorities, ideal for respective localities and of immediate benefit and actualized without delay, need top notch collaboration.

“Strong collaboration between central government and local authorities is critical to achieving improved health outcomes, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities.

The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of both ministries to support the smooth implementation of the devolved primary health care system.”

Zambia’s evolution into a decentralized governance system is traced to pre-independence era and is not a single event and has been dubbed a significant shift from central Government which budgets and decide for its population on infrastructure and other needs of the people in an area.

Since Independence, key milestones and shortcomings have been made under the local government system of governance starting with 1965. Then, the first step was the enactment of the Local Government Act No. 30 of 1965.

It established local authorities and assigned them numerous functions, moving away from colonial-era structures. In 1980: The Local Administration Act No. 15 of 1980.

It was aimed at merging central and local government administration with the ruling party (UNIP) structures, an approach tied to the one-party state system at the time.

1991: With the reintroduction of multi-party democracy, the Local Government Act No. 22 of 1991 was enacted, separating party and government structures and placing emphasis on fiscal decentralisation.

The MMD government in 1993 formally committed to an ambitious decentralisation program as part of a wider public sector reform.

2002: The government adopted its first-ever comprehensive National Decentralisation Policy, which was grounded in the principle of subsidiarity, although implementation remained slow.

2016: A major turning point occurred when decentralisation was enshrined in the national Constitution through the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016, providing a strong legal foundation for a devolved system of governance.

2022-Present: The process gained significant momentum with renewed political will.

The government drastically increased the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation and, in 2023, launched a revised National Decentralisation Policy and Implementation Plan (2023–2027) to accelerate the transfer of functions, resources, and decision-making power to local authorities.

Expectations:

Under decentralisation, communities are expected to benefit through improved public services, greater participation in decision-making, and enhanced accountability of local government to local people.

Key benefits for communities include:

Tailored Services: Local authorities have a better understanding of the specific, unique needs and preferences of their communities than a distant central government.

This allows for the design and implementation of programs and services (e.g., in healthcare, education, water supply, and local infrastructure like feeder roads) that are better suited to local conditions.

Increased Participation and Empowerment: Decentralisation promotes inclusive citizen participation in governance through local meetings, public consultations, and local committees like Ward Development Committees.

This fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility for local development initiatives, giving people a greater voice in decisions that affect their daily lives.

Improved Efficiency and Responsiveness: By bringing decision-making processes closer to the local level, decentralisation can lead to quicker identification of problems and more expeditious solutions, cutting through central bureaucratic red tape.

Greater Accountability and Transparency: Local leaders and officials are more directly accountable to their constituents when decisions are made locally.

Mechanisms like social audits and transparency rules allow citizens to monitor the implementation of projects and the use of public funds, which helps reduce corruption and mismanagement.

Local Economic Development: Empowered local governments can focus on developing local economic strengths, attracting investment, and creating job opportunities that might be overlooked by central planners.

Sustainable and Inclusive Development: The bottom-up approach to planning ensures that development projects are more likely to be sustainable and inclusive, as they are aligned with the actual priorities and conditions of the local population, including marginalized groups.

Effective decentralisation aims to improve the overall quality of life and well-being of people at the local level by making governance systems more responsive, efficient, and democratic, according to the Act.

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