Embassy of the United States

Press Releases

U.S. Ambassador Visits Livingstone Clinics

As part of her visit to Livingstone, the U.S. Ambassador to Zambia, Carmen Martinez, visited Livingstone General Hospital and the Maramba and Dambwa Urban Health Centers on Thursday, February 22, 2007. The Ambassador will met with the staff and clients of the new Livingstone District laboratory at Maramba Urban Clinic and VCT centre. The VCT centre is a collaborative effort between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). DoD invested $102,000 to construct the centre, and CDC provided $98,000 worth of furniture and laboratory equipment. The equipment and training provided by CDC will enable the centre to ensure the ready availability of laboratory results and save patients a trip to Livingstone General Hospital for tests. The Maramba Clinic has been a recipient of CDC and USAID support for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) since 2002. This program provides routine HIV testing for all consenting mothers and promotes optional infant and young child breast feeding.

As part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC has provided technical assistance and $265,000 in financial support for state-of-the-art automated equipment and laboratory refurbishment at Livingstone General Hospital. The equipment has shortened the turn around time for laboratory results from three days to same day results and has helped to alleviate the staff’s workload. CDC also provides assistance for the Anti-Retroviral Treatment program at the hospital, targeting both adults and children. CDC supports pediatric HIV care with the development of a Pediatric HIV Centre of Excellence, which provides comprehensive care, including equipping, training and staffing the Centre. This compliments CDC’s and USAID’s assistance to the Mosi-O-Tunya Family Support Centre. This unit provides counseling and testing services for the hospital and also provides psychosocial support for HIV+ children or children affected by HIV.

The Dambwa Health Centre has also received U.S. Government (USG) support for a VCT centre. This unit has provided much- needed space and enabled the clinic to expand HIV counseling and testing services to the 32,425 people living in the catchement area of the clinic. Dambwa staff work closely with community TB treatment supporters who provide support and encouragement to patients. TB patients seen at Dambwa clinic are offered HIV testing and referrals for antiretroviral treatment as part of their routine care, which is in line with the guidance from the Zambian Ministry of Health. The USG, through CDC, has supported the development of services to link TB and HIV care in the Livingstone district since 2004, including the training of staff, refurbishment of the TB clinic at the hospital, stocking of back up supplies and reagents and payment for counselor services.
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