In Zambia Today, only less than 500,000 People are in formal employment out of the millions who are eligible but are not due to factors too numerous to mention. But out of the response that was obtained from a brief survey that was carried out in the quest to gather information for this article, it was interesting to find out that the Majority of those questioned said that there are very few Opportunities on the Job market in Zambia at present and thus they have become part of the informal sector.
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and it is the virus that causes AIDS. It’s also a member of a group of viruses called retroviruses. HIV infects human cells and uses the energy and nutrients provided by those cells to grow and reproduce. AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. It is a disease in which the body’s immune system breaks down and is unable to fight off infections, known as “opportunistic infections,” and other illnesses that take advantage of a weakened immune system. When a person is infected with HIV, the virus enters the body and lives and multiplies primarily in the white blood cells. These are immune cells that normally protect us from disease. The hallmark of HIV infection is the progressive loss of a specific type of immune cell called T-helper, or CD4, cells. As the virus grows, it damages or kills these and other cells, weakening the immune system and leaving the person vulnerable to various opportunistic infections and other illnesses ranging from pneumonia to cancer. A person can receive a clinical diagnosis of AIDS, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if he or she has tested positive for HIV and meets one or both of these conditions:
The presence of one or more AIDS-related infections or illnesses.
A CD4 count that has reached or fallen below 200 cells per cubic millimeter
of blood. Also called the T-cell count, the CD4 count ranges from 450 to 1200 in healthy individuals.
I recently came across a curious article in which the author “intelligently” dissected whether the Hip Hop music performed by Zambian rapper CRI$I$ was Zambian. This was written as a follow up to an earlier article by the same author titled “Crisis: the Poverty and Futility of Zambian Hip Hop ”. It made for interesting reading if nothing more. However, having known the artist in question personally since 1995 and being one that has listened to recordings by CRI$I$ and helped to promote his music both inside and outside Zambia, I was disturbed with the tone of the article – particular the closing line which said “He (CRI$I$) is a nobody”.
A Survey by the World Health Organization (WHO) carried out 20 years ago had revealed that 80 per cent of the health delivery systems in Third World countries, which include Zambia, constituted of traditional medicine. However, in recent times, the social status and educational background have had a great influence on the use and understanding of traditional medicine. Although, current statistical information on the use of traditional medicine can not be made available more especially in Zambia, it is believed that a high percentage of the population in developing countries still resort to "Ng'angas’ or Sangoma’s as they are known in South Africa, especially after conventional medicine has failed. Of late, Western countries have also been reported to have turned to herbs/herbal remedies as a faster and cheaper way to tackle ailments such as anxiety, memory loss, depression, enhancement of sexual libido and many others too numerous to mention.
There is a void in Zambia. And it needs to be filled. The question is who is going to fill it? I recently read through some articles and comments about some of Zambia’s leaders suggesting that “Bemba” and “Nyanja” be turned into official languages for Zambia. Some are claiming that by doing so, we will emulate countries like Kenya who have adopted “Swahili” as their official languages.
South African kwaito sensation Bleksem is eagerly awaiting the final cut for his brand new music video for ‘Thula Uzoyiboma’. Created by a team of four energetic young video practitioners mentored by Canadian director, Little X, the smoking hot video will be the latest output from the MTV Making the Video with Shell Challengeand features a sizzling collaboration between Bleksem and Mozambique’s hip hop queen, Dama do Bling, produced by DJ Cleo.
In Zambia Today, only less than 500,000 People are in formal employment out of the millions who are eligible but are not due to factors too numerous to mention. But out of the response that was obtained from a brief survey that was carried out in the quest to gather information for this article, it was interesting to find out that the Majority of those questioned said that there are very few Opportunities on the Job market in Zambia at present and thus they have become part of the informal sector.
A Survey by the World Health Organization (WHO) carried out 20 years ago had revealed that 80 per cent of the health delivery systems in Third World countries, which include Zambia, constituted of traditional medicine. However, in recent times, the social status and educational background have had a great influence on the use and understanding of traditional medicine. Although, current statistical information on the use of traditional medicine can not be made available more especially in Zambia, it is believed that a high percentage of the population in developing countries still resort to "Ng'angas’ or Sangoma’s as they are known in South Africa, especially after conventional medicine has failed. Of late, Western countries have also been reported to have turned to herbs/herbal remedies as a faster and cheaper way to tackle ailments such as anxiety, memory loss, depression, enhancement of sexual libido and many others too numerous to mention.
There is a void in Zambia. And it needs to be filled. The question is who is going to fill it? I recently read through some articles and comments about some of Zambia’s leaders suggesting that “Bemba” and “Nyanja” be turned into official languages for Zambia. Some are claiming that by doing so, we will emulate countries like Kenya who have adopted “Swahili” as their official languages.
