• Zambia is honored to host two African Union organs in Lusaka.
• Member States must upscale and strengthen the Regional Collaboration Centre.
• RCC constitutes 10 members namely, Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Vice President Inonge Wina has called on the Southern Africa Member States to strengthen the regional collaboration centre by financing, equipping and managing its programmes well in order to meet regional expectations in line with the decision of the AU Heads of States and Government.

Speaking during the official virtual launch of the Southern Africa Regional Collaborating Centre (RCC), Mrs. Wina further called on Member States to actively participate in the discussions to set the regional targets and priorities in the Covid-19 context and other health issues affecting the region.

She reiterated that Zambia remains grateful to the African Union, Southern Africa Member States and cooperating partners for the tireless efforts of establishing the RCC.

Mrs. Wina stressed the need for Member States to work together as partners in development on the Continent and the world at large, adding that Zambia is honored to host two Africa Union organs in Lusaka, namely, the Economic, Social and Cultural Council, which has been in the country since 2019, and the Southern Africa Regional Collaborating Centre which has been launched today.

“I wish to remind this gathering that we meet today as one Continent, one people, with one goal of achieving an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

“We need to work together as Member States and partners in development on the Continent and the world at large. In this regard, Zambia is honored to host two African union organs in Lusaka, namely, the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) which has been in Zambia since 2019. In addition, we are privileged to host the Southern Africa Regional Collaborating centre which we are launching today. As a country, we take this honor with great respect and gratitude,” Mrs. Wina said.

She is optimistic that the regional collaborating centre will play its role of coordinating the region in terms of human resource, equipment and necessities to support the regional centre to effectively execute its mandate with guidance from the Africa Centre for Disease Control.

“Let me report that since the signing of the Host Agreement on 8th February 2019, Zambia has provided office space, staff and other logistics thereby operationalizing the Regional Centre. I thank the honorable Minister of Health in Zambia, Dr. Jonas Chanda and his team for securing office space and the necessary logistics as part of fulfilling the provisions of the host agreement between the African Union and the Zambian government. As we mark this important milestone, we are all aware that the negative impact of Covid-19 is written in bold all over the world.”

“No one country or economy has been spared, and it is a clear reminder that unless we collaborate to fight the pandemic, every country on its own will not win the war. Therefore, it is within such context that the Regional Collaborating Centre will play its role of coordinating the region in terms of human resource, equipment and necessities to support the regional centre to effectively execute its mandate with guidance from the Africa Centre for Disease Control,” Mrs. Wina said.

And the Vice President congratulated his Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat for his re-election as the Chairperson of the African Union.

“Further, let me extend congratulations to all the re-elected and newly appointed members of the African Union commission. This is a mark of confidence of your hard work and that the results are well appreciated by the people of Africa – congratulations once more.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr. Jonas Chanda said Zambia is privileged to have been given the mandate to host the Southern Africa Regional Collaborating Centre (RCC), which the Ministry has supported since its establishment in 2017.