Zambia News

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.

In a landmark event, the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka has received a significant consignment of childhood cancer medicines under the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (GPACCM). This initiative, supported by St. Jude's Children’s Hospital, the World Health Organization, and partners, aims to bridge the gap in access to life-saving cancer treatments for children in low and middle-income countries.

Dr Clement Lasuba, WHO Representative in Zambia, highlighted the importance of this initiative. 

On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, Zambia joined the global community in calling for urgent and collective action to end TB, the world’s deadliest infectious disease. This year’s theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” resonated deeply with Zambia’s ongoing efforts and renewed commitment to eliminate TB as a public health threat.

WHO Zambia has partnered with Prudential Zambia to launch the Health Facility Solar Installation Project, a groundbreaking initiative that marks the first collaboration between WHO Zambia and the private sector.

This pioneering project has been made possible through the generous support of the Prudence Foundation, the community development arm of Prudential PLC. The foundation has disbursed US$100,000 for installing solar panels in up to eight selected health facilities across Zambia.

With the generous support of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), WHO Zambia has handed over critical cholera commodities valued at US$70,000 to the Ministry of Health to support Zambia’s ongoing fight against cholera. The ceremony, held at the Zambia Institute of Public Health (ZNPHI), was officiated by the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr Elijah Muchima.