Health Concerns in Catholic-Run School

By Angela Mtambo

Father Elvis Chimfwemba, the Kasama Archdiocese Education Secretary, has not ruled out the possibility of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese running out of malaria drugs. However, he emphasised that the church prioritises the welfare of all children in its schools and is committed to preventing any incidents that could endanger learners’ lives.

This follows allegations by one of the parents who accused St. Theresa Secondary School in Kasama, northern Zambia of enforcing strict rules that prevent sick children from accessing necessary treatment. The parent said in 2024 she was forced to find another school for her daughter due to the authorities’ failure to notify her about her child’s illness when the school had run out of anti-malaria drugs.

She told MakanDay Centre for Investigative Journalism that when the school finally informed her of her child’s illness, she sent three courses of coartem, a malaria medication that she later discovered was shared among other students. coartem is typically administered as a total of six doses over a period of three days to effectively treat malaria.

Although the child initially felt better, when school closed, she was diagnosed with malaria again within a month, and over 1,000 parasites were found in a blood slide. The daughter explained that the coartem course had been shared among six learners, and out of the 24 tablets, she had only received eight.

The parent also noted that while her daughter was sick, she missed her mock exams but was not given a chance to make up the missed papers. Instead, she was required to repeat a grade because the school’s policy stated she had failed. The situation was resolved only after her husband pleaded with the school to allow their daughter to proceed to the next grade.

Fr. Chimfwembe stated that St. Theresa has a qualified nurse and doctor on staff, but when the country experiences a shortage of antimalarial drugs, the school is also affected.

He explained that the extended stay of pupils, particularly those in examination classes, is a result of disruptions to the government school calendar at the start of 2024 caused by the cholera outbreak in the country.

While he understands that parents want to be with their children, he emphasised that it is not always feasible, as students need to remain in class. In some cases, closing schools for holidays is impractical, especially when breaks are too short—such as the last holiday, which lasted only a week—making travel difficult for students who live far away.

Response from the school

Sister Charity Matafwali, the headteacher at the school, which is run by the congregation of the Sisters of the Child Jesus said that parents’ fear of the unknown drives them to the media with their concerns.

She said that the school contacts parents when there is a need and that they are welcome to reach out to her to discuss any issues.

When asked if parents had ever spoken to her about the issue of drug shortages and if she had asked them to move their children, she recounted one instance where a student had deceived her parents about being unwell via an unknown phone.

In this case, she had to issue a forced transfer for the child to another school of her choice. She emphasised that any parent who feels the school is not taking proper care of their child is free to take their child out of the school.

Concerns from other parents

MakanDay has established that the parent who brought the initial complaint is not alone in her concerns. Other parents have also reported the school’s poor handling of health issues.

One parent, whose identity has been concealed to protect her child, recounted how her child fell seriously ill at home due to untreated malaria. The child eventually suffered convulsions and was hospitalised, where it was discovered that she had over 1,000 parasites despite having been treated for malaria just a week earlier.

Another parent shared a tragic experience where her daughter died at Kasama General Hospital because she had been sick for several days before the parent was informed of the severity of the illness. It is not clear if this death was as a result of negligence.

Other parents have expressed frustration that while the school strictly enforces various rules—such as prohibitions on visiting students during the three months of term and restrictions on what can be carried to school—the policy on informing parents about their child’s illness remains uncommunicated.

They believe that the school should at least request that parents supply anti-malaria drugs if the school runs out. They feel that such a measure would protect their children from malaria, which remains Africa’s leading cause of death.

They say efforts to raise these concerns with the authorities have largely been unsuccessful, with parents often being sent home or advised to enrol their children in day schools where they can be supervised more closely.

However, one parent shared a different experience where she was called to take her child to the hospital for an eye problem, and the child was treated in her presence before being sent back to school.

Another parent observed that the school is quick to inform parents about minor issues but fails to communicate more critical matters such as illness.

A source within St. Theresa School said that while the school does have anti-malaria drugs, they run out quickly due to the area’s high malaria risk.

This source also noted that serious ailments, like eye and ear issues, are promptly referred to hospitals, with parents being called to be with the student. However, there is concern that if students are not fully treated, it poses a danger, as malaria remains a leading cause of death. The source stressed that serious attention is needed for these issues.

Former pupils have also noted that while malaria has been a recurring problem, there were times when they received treatment. However, the school’s sickbay often ran out of coartem, resulting in them falling ill again after returning home for proper treatment.

Sister Matafwali further mentioned that while students do get sick and sometimes the supply of anti-malaria drugs runs out, this is a common issue even in homes and clinics, where patients must buy their own medications. She questioned why this should be a problem when it happens at school.

MakanDay was unable to reach current students because they are still in enclosure during the school term.

Catholic schools in Zambia

In Zambia, the Catholic Church operates over 523 schools, including early childhood education (ECE) centers, primary, special, and secondary schools. These institutions are among the country’s top-performing schools, consistently achieving excellent academic results.

Kasama Archdiocese oversees 82 schools, comprising 25 ECE centres, 31 primary schools (both private and public), and 26 secondary schools, which include both boarding and day schools.

Government unaware

Northern Province Provincial Education Officer Mulambwa Nawa said he is not aware of these issues but will engage his office to investigate further. He confirmed that all schools, whether public or private, follow the same guidelines from the Ministry of Education. However, he noted that the Ministry has not discussed stocking anti-malaria drugs in boarding schools with the Ministry of Health.

In addition, MakanDay contacted the Ministry of Health to understand the procedure for schools obtaining anti-malaria drugs. Northern Province Provincial Pharmacist Kegan Mwape explained that boarding schools are not automatically supplied with drugs and must request them as schools are responsible for purchasing their own medications, including anti-malaria drugs.

The image used is AI-generated and is just for story illustration.