Zambia News

During his visit to Lusaka for the 75th WHO Regional Committee for Africa (#RC75), WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,  met with members of the WHO Zambia Country Office. The meeting provided an opportunity to recognize the team’s contributions and hear directly from staff on key issues affecting their work.

Dr Tedros expressed heartfelt appreciation for the Zambia team’s dedication and service, especially in the face of global funding challenges

His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, conferred on Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), and Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) the Order of the Eagle of Zambia – 3rd Division.

The special ceremony took place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, during the 75th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC75).

The 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC75) officially opened on 25 August with a high-level ceremony graced by His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, who welcomed delegates and reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to health as a driver of economic development. In his keynote address, President Hichilema highlighted Zambia’s achievements, including allocating 12% of the national budget to health, recruiting 20,000 health workers, and expanding health infrastructure.

In a vibrant display of unity and commitment to healthier lifestyles, the “Walk the Talk: Health for All Challenge” was held on the sidelines of the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, that took place from 25 to 27 August 2025 in Lusaka, Zambia.

The 6-kilometre walk brought together over one thousand participants — including health leaders, policymakers, youth groups, and community members — all stepping forward to promote physical activity and raise awareness about non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

In the buildup of the RC75, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, joined the WHO Zambia Country Office team for a working lunch in Lusaka. The engagement offered a meaningful opportunity to connect, reflect, and align on shared health priorities in Zambia.

Dr Janabi described the lunch as “a valuable opportunity to engage and connect,” and expressed deep appreciation for the team’s dedication to the people of Zambia and their commitment to making a lasting impact.

In Katete District of Eastern province Zambia, health workers, peer educators, and community champions are rewriting the story of adolescent health, one initiative, one conversation, one life at a time.

A joint team from the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) recently visited Katete District on a field monitoring mission. The purpose was to assess and support Quality Improvement (QI) projects designed to enhance adolescent health services.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) affect over a billion people globally, with schistosomiasis, an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms, remaining a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Praziquantel, the medication used to treat these infections, donated by Merck through WHO’s drug donation programme, is the cornerstone of Zambia’s fight against schistosomiasis.   But challenges in ordering and distribution have led to stock imbalances, expiry risks, and delays in mass drug administration campaigns, threatening the sustainability of the programme.

Lusaka – To improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, including family planning and safe abortions, Zambia is training health workers in values clarification and attitude transformation (VCAT).  

Adolescents and young people often face barriers when seeking family planning services or safe abortions at health facilities. These barriers can be rooted in stigma and discrimination, which foster disapproval and negative perceptions against people seeking or providing these services.

On April 7th, WHO Zambia hosted a significant advocacy meeting at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel to commemorate World Health Day. This year’s theme, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” emphasizes the importance of maternal and newborn health and highlights the need for more investments in quality healthcare services to ensure a healthy start for mothers and their babies.

The event brought together policy makers, health care providers, advocates, and civil society organizations to discuss initiatives to improve maternal and newborn outcomes in Zambia. 

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with WHO and partners, hosted a dissemination meeting for the Measles Rubella Post Campaign Coverage Survey (PCCS) at the Mulungushi Conference Center. This event brought together key immunization stakeholders to review and discuss the findings of the recent survey conducted following the nationwide measles and rubella vaccination campaign held in September 2024.