Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said the abrupt cut in health support by donors is painful but long overdue.

Hichilema, however, said his government will enhance its partnership with the church that has been running mission hospitals on the continent.

Hichilema on Tuesday met with all the leaders of the church mother bodies at State House. 

Others were the Church Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), which has a fair share of health institutions, especially in rural Zambia.

The meeting focused on solutions in the health sector following the abrupt cuts in aid, particularly from the United States.

Hichilema said that with the church leadership on board, together with CHAZ, local solutions are attainable.

Delegation leader Bishop Evans Chinyemba, who is a Catholic prelate, highlighted some of the success stories by the church in the sector.

Until 1966, two years after Zambia's independence, the majority of health institutions in Zambia were run by the missionaries, who continued to supplement government efforts in providing health care.