JCTR Bulletin 47 - Editors Letter

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

JCTR has over the past years endeavoured to bring to the fore issues that affect human well being. The cost of living survey, for example, continues to be one of the important components of our work. The survey's strength lies in the fact that it is done monthly and therefore is an effective monitoring tool for trends in poverty. Its simplicity also enables wider understanding and usage. This survey has so far shown a consistent rise in cost of living for a family of six in Lusaka.

Early last year JCTR carried out a study on the cost of living of primary school teachers in Lusaka. One of the objectives of the study was to assess the extent of the relationship of teachers' living conditions and their output.

One major finding of the study was that teachers' incomes were very low, and still are, to afford them barest necessities such as food, shelter, transport, etc. The effect of the inadequate income has been that the majority of teachers resorted to other survival means in order to cope with the poverty situation. This obviously has implications on the quality of education offered and ultimately development.

Presently, on a related subject, JCTR is collaborating with Oxfam on a study on the Impact of Cost Sharing in Basic Education on Poor Households. The study has reached an advanced stage, with results to be made available soon. We hope that the results of this study will influence policy changes particularly in the Zambian case where we hope the findings will be incorporated in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) being prepared.

An important point to note also on the PRSP is that JCTR has been heavily involved in coordinating efforts of civil society participation in the whole PRSP process. The centre has facilitated the establishment of a secretariat for that purpose. And one of our staff in January went to Malawi in order to assist civil society in its PRSP efforts.

The debt project, hosted by JCTR and its efforts at advocating cancellation of poor countries' debt continues to be one of our major focuses. It is common knowledge (or at least it is increasingly becoming so) that some of the debts the poor countries owe the rich were ''underground'' loans but the effects of such debts are being borne by the poor.

In the past and presently, we have published in the Bulletin articles that relate to the health situation in Zambia. The HIV/AIDS pandemic and its impact on national development has continued to be a focus in our Bulletin. Nearly, all our recent issues of the Bulletin have articles on the pandemic.

To highlight problems in the health system in Zambia, JCTR carried a story on the junior doctors' strike. Whatever the reasons for the strike action, one of the fundamental effects of the strike action was that it overstretched the already few medical staff and led to undesirable outcomes such as deaths that could have otherwise been prevented.

God Bless and thank you

Muweme Muweme

Table of Contents | Bulletin 47 Articles