Publications

The first quarter of 2026 highlights WHO Zambia key achievements towards advancing Universal Health Coverage and strengthening health systems in Zambia.

• Efforts to improve health service delivery through the procurement of 216 motorbikes and 70 laptops, which enhanced last-mile service delivery, logistics, and real-time data management. These investments, alongside strengthened surveillance systems and workforce capacity, contributed to improved emergency response and greater system resilience, accountability, and government leadership.
• In response to the cholera outbreak, 151,083 people were vaccinated in Monze District during a reactive oral cholera vaccination campaign. Furthermore. Furthermore, the measles outbreak was successfully interrupted in four high-risk districts through outbreak response immunization, during which a total of 91,905 children were vaccinated.
• Under the emergency preparedness and response flagship, consultations were conducted and with support from WHO AFRO, a roadmap was developed to strengthen the Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) initiative and integrate it into broader emergency preparedness, readiness, and response efforts.
• To ensure continuity of essential services, the Ministry of Health developed a Business Continuity Plan, enhancing the system’s ability to maintain critical services during crises. This resulted in reduced service disruptions and improved overall health system stability.
• The scale-up of quality of care to reduce teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality was advanced through policy dialogue and the provision of technical guidelines. These efforts aim to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes, expand access to adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, and clarify policies on the age of access to such services.