The Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) has been applauded by the Mongu district mayor, Mr Nyambe Muyumbana, for its continued contributions to the improvement of access to health services in Mongu. 

“I would like to commend CIDRZ for your continued partnership with the government. I remain hopeful that CIDRZ work will positively impact many adolescents and young people in Mongu who engage in negative social activities with poor health-seeking behaviours”, he said. 

The mayor made the remarks during a courtesy call at his office by the CIDRZ project team, led by the project Coordinator Mr Mambwe Nkhoma. The visit to the mayor followed CIDRZ’s launch of the Community Comprehensive Health Package for Adolescents and Young People (C-CoHP) Project in three districts of Western Province (Mongu, Limulunga, and Sesheke). With support from the Global Fund through the Ministry of Health, CIDRZ will initially implement this project for 15 months.

This peer-led project focuses on providing comprehensive health services to out-of-school and in-school Adolescents and Young People between the ages of 10-24 years. The project will also train 40 adolescent peer educators placed in sixteen target communities within the three districts.

The mayor has since pledged his support to the project to ensure adolescents and young people in Mongu could utilise and benefit from the CIDRZ project interventions that include, among others, skills development, recreational activities, and comprehensive sex education.