Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 239011,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/239011/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 171,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Tuju",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Foreign Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 345,
        "legal_name": "Raphael Tuju",
        "slug": "raphael-tuju"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I would like to thank the Minister for her passion in the way she addresses the health problems facing this country. All the credit is due to her and, of course, to this Government, for the many improvements we have seen in the health sector. For a long time, it was not possible to predict whether you will even get a prescription paper in which the doctor could prescribe medicine for you. Now, the prescription papers are there. When you get a prescription, the chemists at the hospitals give you the required medication and all the credit is due to her. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to commend the Ministry of Health for the great work they have done with respect to the HIV/AIDS programmes, especially the introduction of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ARTs) in our hospitals and the relevant medication that go along with it. Indeed, it is a great credit to that Ministry and, of course, to this Government, that, today, those who are suffering from HIV/AIDS have a lot more hope than they had a few years down the line. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I would like to draw the attention of the Minister and this House to the fact that there is an auto-catalytic relationship between HIV/AIDS and malaria. Those who are suffering from HIV/AIDS are more likely to go down with clinical malaria, and those who have clinical malaria are more likely to exhibit full-blown AIDS because malaria has compromised their immunity, just the way HIV also compromises immunity. I would like to urge the Minister to ensure that she does everything in her power to increase more effort in strengthening health education, because we are seeing the spectre of drug-resistant malaria and tuberculosis. Drug-resistant tuberculosis has surfaced, especially in Eastern Europe and it is a big problem there. When it becomes a problem in this country, it would probably become worse than HIV/AIDS because tuberculosis is actually airborne. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I would like to stress and stress again the importance of health education, especially as we deal with certain forms of cancer. Cervical cancer is now the leading type of cancer that is found in women in east and central Africa and which is directly related to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). This is something which is not common knowledge to our people. It is important that this kind of education is imparted to our people so that we do not end up with too much of these cancers. The same can be said of prostrate cancer and several other health problems. Indeed, good health is not just absence of disease or just medication but to be in good health, and that is only possible if we embrace health education. October 17, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2959 With these few remarks, I beg to support the Motion. Thank you."
}