ZNPHI URGED TO BE ALERT OVER COVID 19 VARIANTS
Health Minister Jonas Chanda has urged the Zambia National Public Health Institute to be on high alert and continue to study various Covid -19 variants from different countries.
Dr Chanda says Zambia, like other countries around the globe, is observing the way the COVID-19 variant has presented itself in India in the past few weeks.
He was speaking when he toured the Zambia National Public Health Institute in Lusaka today.
The Minister has commended the institution on the work it is doing on surveillance of COVID-19, cholera and Ebola in the neighbouring countries.
And Zambia National Public Health Institute Director Laboratories Services Kunda Musonda assured Dr CHANDA that there is increased technical support by the institution in the woke of pandemics such as COVID-19.
Dr Musonda who stood in for the Director General Victor Mukonka said the institution is working with the various stakeholders such as the African union, World Health Organisation in addressing health security in the country.
Meanwhile, Dr Chanda said he is impressed that the number of those that have been vaccinated.
He told ZNBC News that the only concern that Government has is that Astra Zeneca vaccine is coming from in India where there is also a lot of demand.