Health

Zambia's health service is fighting against lacking resources. An HIV/Aids epidemic has worsened the situation. A fifth of Zambia's population is currently living with HIV/Aids and the epidemic affects the whole society. Zasp is working for a better health service. Their aim is to provide the project area's population with preventative health care and access to good medical care.

A health clinic was built at the Zasp centre in 1999. This has recently been extended with a small delivery room and a dental clinic. Some of the activities, such as weighing and health education for mothers, are held outdoors.

Aids Programme

For many years Aids was something that nobody spoke about. By chance, a woman called Queen who was suffering from Aids, sought help at Zasp in 2000. This was to become the start of Zasp's Aids programme in villages and schools.

Aids patients, youth tutors, nurses, volunteers from the projects management and Zasp's musical band provide information. This is a varying programme with discussions, drama, sketches, poetry, music, song and dance. In addition to this Outreach programme, Zasp helps with those who are living with the illness -PLWHA( People Living With HIV/Aids). Those requiring personal advice are given this by Zasp's nurse.

Several HIV/Aids seminars and workshops are arranged annually for various groups e.g. headmen, church leaders, traditional midwives, teachers etc. These in turn spread the knowledge they have received.

Youth Center

A major concentration on young people has begun. A number of youth tutors, Peer Educators, have been taught at the Zasp centre. They join groups of youngsters from the project area for discussions about various subjects, including sexuality and HIV/Aids. In October 2006 Zasp's Youth Centre was inaugurated where youth leaders are responsible for many of the activities.

Malaria

There is a high rate of infant mortality from malaria but this has decreased since Zasp started its information meetings about the illness and shared out mosquito nets.