Rhyth of Life

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With U.S. Support, Zambia Holds First-Ever Arts Festival and Health Fair

Lusaka - United States Ambassador to Zambia Donald Booth made a strong plea today for preventative health care, while speaking at Rhythm of Life, Zambia’s first combined music and arts festival and health fair. The day-long celebration, supported by the American people, and implemented by Health Communication Partnership (HCP), was designed to bring preventive health care information, counseling and testing services (VCT) to Zambians in both traditional and entertaining ways such as music, drama, film, dance and art. Legendary Zimbabwean musician Oliver Mtukudzi headlined the day’s concert, and popular Zambian artists, including Mampi, Danny and Mozigator also performed.

Though festival goers may have been drawn in for the musical superstars, they could not help become part of the day’s true theme: preventive health care. In addition to a wealth of information about preventing HIV and malaria, as well as VCT services, health activities included mobile male circumcision services, blood pressure and weight checks, and health quizzes with prizes.

According to Ambassador Booth, “Prevention is essential to a healthier Zambia and to a wealthier Zambia. You cannot go on with treatment as your main battle plan. Treatment costs too much, certainly in terms of dollars and kwacha. But other costs are just as severe. It is missing days of work to treat malaria, instead of spending ten minutes installing a mosquito net. It is spending a lifetime on ARV instead of 10 seconds putting on a condom. It is losing years of life to breast or skin cancer instead of setting aside five minutes once a month for a self-exam.”

Ambassador Booth also emphasized the importance of prevention.

“There’s an old saying,” he said, “that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We’ve made great strides at accumulating those ounces here and there. But if an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, think what we could do with a pound of prevention.”
Health Communication Partnership Zambia (HCP) is a five-year project funded by the United States Government, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which is far and away the largest source of money provided in Zambia to fight HIV/AIDS.

Song Lyrics

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