Zambia News

On 10 June 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Zambia with the kind support of the Gavi Alliance donated 700 data collection electronic devices and related accessories worth One Hundred and Twenty Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety US Dollars (US$122,290) to the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Department of the Ministry of Health (MoH) to support the efficient and effective real-time data collection, monitoring and evaluation of the COVID-19 vaccination process and related information.

The Global Fund Differentiated Services Delivery (DSD) Strategic Initiatives (SI) invest in technical assistance (TA) in ten (10) priority countries until 2023, for the adoption of World Health Organization (WHO) recommended guidance, to incentivize increased program quality and efficiency along the HIV testing, treatment and advanced disease cascade, through promotion of best-practices and acceleration of country grant implementation.

 The WHO Country Representative, Dr. Nathan Bakyaita and the African Development Bank Manager, Mary Monyau on 1 July 2021 handed over a donation of COVID -19 supplies worth one million United States dollars to support the health system’s response to the pandemic. The donation which included personal protective equipment, ventilators, laboratory reagents and test kits has been made possible through support provided to the WHO Country Office by the African Development Bank working in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Although Cholera is a preventable disease, it remains a significant public health problem globally. Each year, there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases of cholera, and 21 000 to 143 000 deaths worldwide. Zambia has experienced cholera outbreaks since 1977 and the country’s last major outbreak lasted from October 2017 to June 2018 with a total of 5,935 reported cases and 114 deaths. The risk factors mainly include inadequate access to clean and safe water, poor sanitation facilities, poor solid waste management and consumption of contaminated food.

The Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Jonas Chanda officially launched the COVID-19 vaccination on 14 April 2021 at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka. Zambia received the first consignment of 228,000 doses of the vaccine from the COVAX facility, a global Initiative representing a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO), Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) working on the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

The World Health Organization Country Office has continued to provide support to the Ministry of Health and the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) to engage communities in the national response to COVID-19. Traditional healers in Zambia are consulted by people in communities for health problems such as Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, mental health and many others. This places them at high risk of getting infected by COVID-19 and them also infecting others.

The World Health Organization Country Office provided support to the Ministry of Health in conducting a virtual advocacy meeting with Members of Parliament on Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development (ECD). A total of 22 parliamentarians selected from the Committees on Health, Community Development & Social Services; and Education, Science & Technology participated in the event which took place on 9 December 2020.