THE EDITORIAL NEWS

MO RE THAN 20 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS SOUTHERN AFRICA EXPECTED TO FACE GROWING HUNGER The  Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)  has issued an  Alert for Southern Africa  where the  El Niño  is expected to drive below-average rainfall and negatively impact harvests across much of the region, driving high humanitarian food assistance needs into early 2025. In an  Alert  issued in November, last year, FEWS NET reported that more than 20 million people across Southern Africa are expected to face  Crisis (IPC Phase 3)  or worse food security outcomes in early 2024, with Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar likely to bear the brunt of El Niño’s adverse effects. El Niño is expected to result in a below-average October 2023-March 2024 rainy season in several parts of Southern Africa, which will likely drive cereal and cash crop harvests to underperform. Grazing conditions are expected to deteriorate earlier than normal in 2024,...

NO PERMIT TO PLACE GMO MEALIE MEAL ON THE MARKET WAS APPROVED-NBA ...Eagles Holding Milling is among the 64 companies which were given authorisation to transit mealie meal which may contain GMOs to neighboring DRC. By Alfonso Kasongo The a gency regulating the use and development of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in Zambia ,th e National Biosafety Authority (NBA) says that it has never approved any permit application  for the importation and placing on the market of mealie meal which may contain GMOs. But a letter originated by ministry of agriculture Permanent Secretary for administration Yvonne Mpundu to Eagles Holding Milling company,  suggests that the ministry has issued an import permit to the milling company to import into Zambia 226 metric tons of mealie meal suspected to have been produced from GMO maize from South Africa, in an effort to  advert commodity shortages in the country. This is amid serious controversy and confusion; a move that many local stake...

  750,000 METRIC TONS OF GMO MEALIE MEAL CROSSED ZAMBIA  INTO DRC   NBA CEO Mr. Lackson Tonga By Alfonso Kasongo Zambia's biosafety regulator, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has disclosed that ,in 2023, the country recorded an increase in the number of applications to transit commodities that may contain Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs). And the Authority has also announced that, last year,it granted 64 certificates to transit mealie meal which may contain  GMOs from South Africa to neighbouring  Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),the development which saw over 750,000 metric tons of mealie meal which may contain GMOs transiting Zambia. The Authority Chief Executive Officer Mr. Lackson Tonga said this in a statement that ..."in 2023 we recorded and increase in the number of companies and individuals seeking transit authorisation as over 40 companies and individuals applied compared to less than 10 in the  previous year.” Meanwhile Mr. ...

ZAMBIAN GOVT. ROLLS OUT CHOLERA VACCINE  By Alfonso Kasongo Zambian government has commenced the administration of the oral cholera vaccine in an effort to curb the cholera outbreak in the country. On Tuesday government rolled out  door-to-door vaccination campaign in some peri urban areas, starting with Kanyama and Matero ,some of the affected shanty compounds in Lusaka. The countrywide cholera outbreak has so far claimed 400  lives,about one-third  of which are children under the age of five. Cholera is an acute diarrhea infection caused by a bacteria that is typically spread via contaminated food or water.  The diarrhoeal disease is strongly linked to poverty and inadequate access to clean drinking water. Health minister , Ms Silvia Masebo,on Monday received 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccines from UNICEF. The World Health Organisation (WHO) International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision approved over 1.7 million doses of oral cholera vaccines f...

  ZCCN CALLS FOR DETAILED STUDY ON CARBON,MARKETS TRADING ..as the network submits a memorandum to Parliamentary committee on agriculture,land and natural resources . ZCCN members pose for a photo with committee members after  the network made the submission By Alfonso Kasongo The Zambia Climate Change Network (ZCCN) has called for a detailed study on carbon market and trading in the country. This came to light today, when the network  submitted a memorandum to the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Lands, and Natural Resources.  The memorandum specifically focuses on the adoption of work to conduct a detailed study on Carbon Markets and Trading in Zambia, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges inherent in the space. This submission aligns with ZCCN's mandate on policy influence, a strategic pillar under its priority areas.  Making the submission, in Lusaka, Network National Coordinator Ms Lydia Chimambo reaffirmed the network's commitment to in...

  NBA APPROVES TB, SHIGELLOSIS VACCINES FOR TRIALS . .as authority issues research permits of the trials. By Alfonso Kasongo Zambia has approved two clinical trials  for tuberculosis and shigellosis vaccines to be conducted in the country by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) . This follows the issuance of  the two research permits  by the  National Biosafety Authority (NBA) to allow CIDRZ to conduct human trials for Tuberculosis and Shigellosis vaccines in Lusaka and Ndola. Zambia is among the global leaders contributing to data on Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) vaccine development and has been considered as a research destination for enteric disease and other vaccine research. In Zambia, Shigella has a high prevalence of 34.7 percent in children with diarrhea and an attributable fraction of 6.7 percent in children with moderate to severe diarrhea. And Zambia is among top 30 countries globally with tuberculosis ...

  OVER 12,000 SMALL-HOLDER FARMERS TO BE INTERGRATED INTO ORGANIC SOYABEANS PRODUCTION ...to enhance climate smart agricultural practices. Pictures for illustration purposes By Alfonso Kasongo With the support from the Enterprise Zambia Challenge Fund (EZCF),Seba Foods Zambia Limited plans to set out-grower scheme of organic soyabeans small-holder farmers in order to promote climate smart agricultural practices as the company diversifies its product portfolio. The plan will in the next 3-years see over 12,000 small-scale farmers being integrated into organic soyabeans production. Enterprise Zambia is a Challenge Fund, funded by the European Union, to strengthen agricultural value chain and it targets Zambian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that support productive and market-intergrated small-holder agriculture. With such plans in place,the company aims to also set up a plant based beverage factory for purposes of producing organic soya milk to southern Africa and United States ...

  KACHASU BREWERS CASH IN ON CHOLERA OUTBREAK ...as demand for the high potent locally brewed spirit goes up at the height of cholera outbreak in Lusaka. By Alfonso Kasongo LUSAKA: The outbreak of Cholera in Lusaka's  George compound in Matero constituency h as triggered public concerns as residents in the area have  resorted to drinking Kachasu, a high potent traditionally brewed spirit in an effort to prevent and treat the diarrhoeal disease. The development has since caused the demand for the alcoholic beverage to skyrocket. According to the residents, they believe drinking Kachasu also known as lutuku in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo will protect them from contracting the diarrhoeal disease which has so far killed over 200 people since  the outbreak last October. The sad part and concerning issue is, the  residents have also resorted to giving the high potent alcohol beverage to children from the age of two. Kachasu ,distilled brew made thro...

  LEADERSHIP FAILURE, HIGH POVERTY LEVELS WORSENING CHOLERA OUTBREAK-DR CANISIUS         Cholera patients at National Heroes Stadium                      treatment centre. By Alfonso Kasongo Public health specialist Dr. Canisius Banda has described the cholera outbreak in Zambia as a national disaster,attributing the escalation of the the diarrhoeal disease to leadership failure in the management of the disease and elimination of the epidemic by 2025. Dr. Banda further attributes the outbreak of the disease to high poverty levels which he says has been triggered by high cost of living. He says poverty has also contributed to the escalating cases of cholera stressing the need to prioritise the fight against poverty if the disease is to be eliminated. "Poverty and cleanliness do not go together ,Let us end poverty and this disease will go," Dr. Banda says. Cholera, a contagious diarrhoeal disease has so far cl...

ZAMBIA'S GENOME EDITING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY HITS SNAG ... for now , it's a grey area, we have only concentrated on developing the STI policy-says Jane Chinkusu. By Alfonso Kasongo Zambia's  quest to embrace new agricultural scientific techniques and innovations such as genome-editing to e nhanced uptake of science for optimized agriculture in the country,  continues to face numerous challenges despite fears of food insecurity due to adverse impacts of climate change. In December, 2022, with the support from AUDA-NEPAD, Zambia began the process of developing a genome-editing communication strategy  with the aim t o foster broader understanding of the new biotechnology technique.   The Southern African nation is among other five African countries which AUDA-NEPAD  identified for the development of the Genome Editing communication strategies with the goal  to widen the understanding of new biotechnology technique in respective countries.  A consortium ...

INCREASED  DOMINANCE,CONTROL OF SEEDS BY MUTI-NATIONAL COMPANIES  IRKS STAKEHOLDERS ....they claim the development p oses serious threat on household nutrition, climate resilience, good health, and sustainable income. By Alfonso Kasongo I ncreased presence, control and dominance of hybrid seeds supplied by transnational corporations  on Zambia's market over  local seed, have triggered concerns among environmental and smart agriculture champions noting the development poses serious threats on food sovereignty, household nutrition, climate resilience, good health, and sustainable income. They argue that the proposed amendments to seed related pieces of legislation and the calls for Zambia to join an International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), provide conducive environment to further consolidate control of Zambian seed and agriculture for foreign profit. Over the years, multiple groups have challenged the Zambia Seed Control and Certif...