Health and Nutrition Issues in Zambia
Reported, December 15, 2011
USAID’s health program supports Zambia’s National Health Strategic Plan to combat malaria and tuberculosis; improve maternal and child health; promote family planning and reproductive health; and, prevent HIV and provide care and treatment for those already infected with the virus. USAID supports capacity development to promote behavior change, increase demand for and access to quality health services, strengthen the health system, and procure key commodities. USAID works through partners that provide direct assistance to the public and private sectors throughout Zambia.
With a national prevalence of 15.6 percent among Zambians aged 15-49 (women 18 percent; men 13 percent), according to the 2001/2 Demographic & Health Survey (DHS), the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia overwhelms the health system. USAID, under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), supports comprehensive activities under the Ministry of Health and National AIDS Council national plans. In five provinces, USAID partners work directly with the Ministry of Health to expand quality services for: prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, HIV counseling and testing, anti-retroviral therapy, and other treatment and care. USAID also supports private sector HIV counseling and testing through the New Start network of clinics. At the national level, USAID invests in the supply chain system for HIV/AIDS-related commodities. USAID procures anti-retroviral drugs, HIV test kits, and HIV-related lab equipment and supplies for the public sector.
Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Zambia, with nearly 4.3 million cases and 50,000 deaths per year. It is responsible for one quarter of childhood deaths and accounts for almost 50 percent of hospitalizations nationwide. USAID support to the National Malaria Control Program focuses on the most vulnerable: pregnant women and children under age five. USAID helps expand availability and use of proven preventive measures, including long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) and targeted indoor residual spraying. Activities also address the dangers of malaria in pregnancy by reaching pregnant women with preventive treatment, and strengthening diagnosis and treatment of malaria-especially for children. USAID procures LLINs, insecticides for indoor residual spraying, diagnostic equipment, and other commodities for the national malaria program.
The incidence of tuberculosis in Zambia is on the rise, with new infections fueled by a 70 percent HIV co-infection rate. USAID helps the Ministry of Health strengthen Zambia’s capacity to deliver proven, cost-effective interventions. USAID’s partners work in three provinces to expand and enhance Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) and improve the co-management of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Zambia’s maternal mortality ratio (729 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) is one of the highest in the world, and only 43 percent of deliveries are attended by a medically-trained provider. As for child health, although under-five mortality has been decreasing, it still remains at an unacceptably high level (168 deaths per 1000 live births), with malaria and HIV being the principal causes of death in this age group. USAID supports priority activities under Zambia’s National Health Strategic Plan via technical assistance and training that strengthen antenatal, post-abortion, and emergency obstetric care; address childhood immunization and micronutrient needs; expand an integrated approach to managing childhood illnesses; and, make clean drinking water more available.
Investing in family planning and other reproductive health services is vital in mitigating the economic and environmental impact of population growth, and in improving maternal and child health-especially with Zambia’s high HIV prevalence. Family planning and reproductive health services are not uniformly available around the country and are not always well-linked to HIV/AIDS interventions. Only 25 percent of married women currently use a modern method of family planning, with total fertility at 5.9. USAID helps achieve Zambian family planning and reproductive health goals by providing technical assistance and training to expand access to family planning services in the public sector, and through social marketing and support of communication for behavior change.
USAID’s partners assist the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to:
Develop and distribute information, education, and communication materials to promote healthier behaviors
Mobilize communities to understand and advocate for health services
Socially market subsidized health products
Train and supervise health workers
Develop national strategies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures
Strengthen national health supply chain, planning and management information systems
Support the national Demographic & Health Survey and other studies
Activities & Partners
Health Communication Partnership (HCP) – HCP uses community mobilization and communication tools to promote better health-seeking behavior. The program strengthens community organizations and leadership around key health issues in 22 districts. It also supports national health information, education and communication campaigns by developing job aids, radio programs, health talk lines and video- and poster-based media. Two HIV/AIDS-related videos produced by HCP, Tikambe and Road to Hope, have won international awards. HCP partners are the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, Save the Children, and International HIV/AIDS Alliance.
Contact – Chief of Party: Ms. Lynn Lederer (lynnl@hcp.org.zm); Deputy Chief of Party: Ms. Uttara Kumar (uttarabk@hcp.org.zm).
Address – P.O. Box 37230, Mosi-oa-Tunya Road, Woodlands House, Woodlands, Lusaka. Tel: +260-21-1-266020, +260-21-1-266021. www.hcpartnership.org
Better Health for Zambians through Social Marketing – Population Services International, through its Zambian affiliate, Society for Family Health, aims to increase demand for a variety of health products and services via social marketing campaigns and subsidized prices, making them accessible to all Zambians. Products and services include: Clorin home water purification solution, Mama SafeNite insecticide-treated bed nets, SafePlan oral contraceptives, and Maximum Classic male and Care female condoms, and the New Start HIV counseling and testing network.
Contact – Chief of Party: Ms. Cynde Robinson (cynder@sfh.org.zm); Deputy Chief of Party: Mr. Richard Harrison (richard@sfh.org.zm).
Address – P.O. Box 50770, 39 Central Street, Jesmondine, Lusaka. Tel: +260 (211) 292443, +260-21-1-292448. www.psi.org
Zambia Prevention, Care & Treatment Partnership – Managed by Family Health International, the Zambia Prevention, Care & Treatment Partnership (ZPCT) works in concert with the Ministry of Health to strengthen and expand comprehensive HIV/AIDS services in the Central, Copperbelt, Luapula, North-Western, and Northern Provinces. This partnership focuses on services provided at health facilities, supports referral linkages between communities and the health system, and assists the Ministry of Health and National AIDS Council to develop strategies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures. It covers prevention of mother-to-child transmission, HIV counseling and testing, anti-retroviral therapy and other treatment and care, TB/HIV, health worker and counselor training, and lab and pharmacy support. ZPCT partners are Management Sciences for Health, Churches Health Association of Zambia, Kara Counseling & Training Trust, and Expanded Church Response.
Contact – Chief of Party: Ms. Cathy Thompson (cthompson@zpct.org); Deputy Chief of Party: Dr. Asha Basnyat (abasnyat@zpct.org).
Address – P.O. Box 320303, 2055 Nasser Road, Lusaka. Tel: +260 (211) 257331; +260 (211) 257337. www.fhi.org
Health Services & Systems Program – The Health Services & Systems Program (HSSP), led by Abt Associates, works in partnership with the Ministry of Health at all levels to support increased access to quality health services and to strengthen health systems. HSSP assists the Ministry of Health to strengthen ante-natal, post-abortion, and emergency obstetric care; address childhood immunization and micronutrient needs; integrate management of childhood illnesses; and, expand long-term family planning methods. HSSP also provides significant assistance to the National Malaria Control Center in rolling out the national indoor residual spraying program and in strengthening case management of malaria in children and presumptive treatment for pregnant women. HSSP also supports the underlying systems that are required to make a public health service function. This includes the health management information system and health sector planning. Lastly, HSSP provides support for human resources: pre-service training, human resource planning and management, and the rural retention scheme. HSSP partners include Abt Associates, JHPIEGO, International Science & Technology Institute and Save the Children.
Credits and More Details:
http://www.usaid.gov/zm/population/phn.htm