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鈥淕ood evening everyone and welcome to the British High Commission.

鈥淣ow let me welcome our Guest of Honour, the Honourable Minister of Health Dr Kasonde. I would also like to welcome representatives from the Cooperating Partners; and from COMESA 鈥� the Common market for Eastern and Southern Africa; representatives from the Private Sector including the Managing Director from Shoprite Mr Charles Bota; and representatives from SABMiller; the Country Director of the Clinton Health Access Initiative; and representatives from other NGOs and businesses joining us here tonight.

鈥淚 would also like to give a special welcome to Simon Berry, the founder of ColaLife, and to their local partners Keepers Zambia Foundation, Mr John Msimuko, and Pharmanova, Mr Mohmed Seedat.

鈥淚 am delighted that we are all here today to launch the Kit Yamoyo in Shoprite stores throughout the country. Kit Yamoyo 鈥� the 鈥楰it of Life鈥� - is an anti-diarrhoea kit, which was developed and tested in Zambia by ColaLife 鈥� a small UK NGO - with the help of funding from the UK鈥檚 Department for International Development (DFID). So it is appropriate that we celebrate this next big step in Kit Yamoyo鈥檚 life here at the British High Commission. I think tonight鈥檚 event is also a celebration of Simon and his wife Jane鈥檚 hard work and persistence, and of the long partnership between ColaLife and DFID.

鈥淭his launch marks the availability of Kit Yamoyo in Shoprite stores nationwide. This is of huge significance as only a few 鈥� less than 1% of children who need it 鈥� get this simple treatment for diarrhoea, which is the third biggest killer of children under 5 in this country.

鈥淐olaLife has been working with and through local partners in Zambia since 2009, when 鈥� inspired by Coca-Cola鈥檚 ability to reach even small shops in remote villages 鈥� they came to Zambia on a fact finding visit.

鈥淥ne of the first people ColaLife contacted was Dr Bonface Fundafunda, then advisor to the Minister of Health and now Director at Medical Stores Limited. MSL played a key role in early trials and is now set to help distribute Kit Yamoyo.

鈥淭hat first visit by ColaLife was the start of a close relationship between ColaLife and Zambia鈥檚 Ministry of Health, who remain amongst the most important and influential supporters.

鈥淚 would like to recognise the role of the Ministry in supporting ColaLife. Since ColaLife鈥檚 first visit in 2009, the Ministry has provided advice, policy guidance, and also great vision, in backing the first children鈥檚 diarrhoea kit in the world designed specifically for easy use by customers in their home, wherever they may live.

鈥淚 also mentioned the long-standing relationship with DFID. DfID agreed to co-fund - together with companies such as Johnson & Johnson, SABMiller, and with significant support from COMESA - the first trial of the novel anti-diarrhoea kit and its distribution model. It is wonderful to see some of these early supporters here tonight, including the Deputy Secretary General of COMESA, Dr Kipyego Cheluget, as well as Panji Banda, one of ColaLife鈥檚 original mentors from SABMiller 鈥� who also kindly supplied the refreshments we are enjoying.

鈥淭hat first trial, overseen by the Ministry and by UNICEF, ran from 2011-2013. It produced a lot of learning points, but most importantly, increased children鈥檚 use of Oral Rehydration Salts and Zinc for diarrhoea,from only 1% to 45%.

鈥淏ased on these results, DFID鈥檚 support for Kit Yamoyo is continuing 鈥� and is now focusing more on helping to embed Kit Yamoyo in the Zambian market. Through the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Fund, ColaLife and its local partner Keepers Zambia Foundation, receive a grant to target 14 of the most under-served districts in Zambia to ensure availability of Kit Yamoyo in rural health centers.

鈥溁使谔逵齛pp SUN Fund is a $27m multi-donor fund that supports the Government of Zambia to implement its 鈥�1000 Most Critical Days Programme鈥�. This national programme aims to reduce the very high levels of chronic undernutrition in Zambia, and its contribution to high infant and child mortality rates.

鈥淎 special welcome to the representatives from to co-funders of the SUN Fund - Sweden and Ireland - and to the new country director of CARE Zambia, who are responsible for managing the Fund, Mrs Geraldine Zwack.

鈥淥ne other way in which DFID is supporting Kit Yamoyo and its distribution is through 鈥淯K Aid Direct鈥� which enables CSOs to receive matched funding to widen their reach and impact. 皇冠体育app focus of this project is on Lusaka Province, and we are glad to welcome here tonight Lusaka鈥檚 Provincial Medical Officer, Dr Kennedy Malama.

鈥淭his new partnership with Shoprite that we are launching here today adds another partner to the list of Kit Yamoyo supporters, and another channel through which the people of Zambia will be able to access this simple, but life-saving treatment.

鈥淚 would now like to hand over to Mr Simon Berry, one of the founders of ColaLife, to give us an overview of the Kit Yamoyo project. 鈥�