• This brings the total amount of grant for the programme to about US$ 42 million or equivalent to K840 million.
• Japan will assist government to adequately carter for primary health care needs of the people of Chamboli and Mushili Townships.
• The two hospitals in Kitwe and Ndola will be supplied with medical equipment.

Minister of Finance and National Planning has disclosed that Japan will provide an additional grant of approximately US$17 million to the US$ 25 Million which was earlier given to Zambia for upgrading of health centres to district hospitals on the Copperbelt.
Speaking during the official signing ceremony of exchange of notes between the two countries, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane said this brings the total amount of grant for the programme to about US$ 42 million or equivalent to K840 million.
Dr. Musokotwane stated that the additional grant by Japan will assist government to adequately carter for primary health care needs of the people of Chamboli Township in Kitwe and Mushili Township in Ndola.
“Through the signing of this exchange of notes, that you have just witnessed, Japan will provide an additional grant of ¥1,880,000,000 or approximately USD 17 million to the ¥2,654,000,000 or approximately USD 25 million which was earlier given to Zambia.”
“Zambia has made strides in improving the health status of citizens through increased investments in health infrastructure such as the construction of general hospitals, specialist hospitals, and mini-hospitals as well as health posts. However, there remains constraints in the sector such as inadequate and obsolete medical equipment and supplies and long distances to health centres,” Dr. Musokotwane stated.
He added that through this grant, the two hospitals in Kitwe and Ndola will be supplied with medical equipment such as X-ray diagnostic equipment, ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, operating table, anesthesia machine with artificial respirator, high-pressure steam sterilizer, hand washing machine, mobile ventilators, electrocardiographs, defibrillators and incubators.
“In Kitwe and Ndola districts, lack of first and second-level public hospitals, have put pressure on the existing third-level hospitals such as Kitwe Teaching Hospital and Ndola Teaching Hospital due to great demand of basic medical services. Therefore, the improvement and expansion of first-level hospitals in both areas will reduce the burden on the third-level hospitals to access better basic medical services.”
And Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Takeuchi Kazuyuki says the project was originally planned with the budget of 2.654 billion Japanese Yen, and with the signing of the notes today, his government will provide an additional grant of 1.88 billion Yen, making the total amount of the grant 4.534 billion Japanese Yen.
Mr. Kazuyuki added that the project aims to strengthen the Zambian health system itself, to enable Government to deal with infectious diseases and other common but serious illnesses in the long term.
Meanwhile, Chief Representative of JICA Zambia office said the Japanese grant aid project will be implemented based on the experience of past and on-going grant aid projects, such as “The Project for Upgrading of Lusaka Health Centres to District Hospitals” namely, Chawama, Matero, Chilenje, Kanyama, Chipata, which have assisted in upgrading five health centres to First level hospitals now General hospitals in Lusaka District.
On 14th July 2022, Zambia and Japan signed the exchange of notes for the grant amounting to two billion, six hundred and fifty four million Japanese Yen on for the “Economic and social development Programme” – “Upgrading Health Centres to district hospitals on the Copperbelt province.”