Permanent Secretary of the Zambian Ministry for Higher Education, Mrs Kayula Siame, has called upon the International Scientific Advisory Board to assist the Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals (ACEIDHA) at the University of Zambia and Southern Africa Centre of Infectious Diseases Surveillance (SACIDS) at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania to find other alternative sources of funding in view of the Centres’ critical role they are playing in management of infectious diseases that affect animals and humans.
The Permeant Secretary, Mrs Siame, said this during the International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) meeting in Livingstone at Chrismar Hotel on Thursday, 12th December 2019.
Mrs Siame, who was represented by Director of Science and Technology, Mrs Jane Chinkusu, said that the funding modalities for Africa Centres of Excellence (ACEs) was linked to the achievement of specific targets. She said that in the recent past, it was clear that the World Bank-funded ACEs had been facing financial challenges due to the target achievement linked kind of funding.
Mrs Siame assured the ISAB members of Government support and commitment in implementing the solutions of their meeting in Livingstone, Zambia.
And the Acting University of Zambia (UNZA) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Enala Tembo-Mwase, informed the ISAB members of the University’s commitment in supporting the postgraduate programmes and research activities that ACEIDHA had embarked on.
Prof Mwase said that the success of ACEIDHA was of importance to UNZA Management and pledged unwavering support to the Centre’s mandate to build capacity in infectious diseases through training and cutting edge research.
ISAB is a professional body of internationally renowned scholars and researchers in infectious diseases that affect both humans and animals such as Ebola, bird flu, tapeworms, Brucellosis, Anthrax, and other zoonotic viruses. The Board has scheduled meetings from 12th to 16th December 2019 in Livingstone.
SOURCE: ACEIDHA
