Zambia News

The Human Papilloma Virus vaccine has been introduced for the first time in the immunization programme in Zambia. The vaccine was introduced on 27th May 2013 on pilot basis in Chongwe, Kafue and Lusaka districts to pave way for scale-up to the rest of the country. The vaccination programme is using a school-based strategy which is targeting all girls in grade 4 while out of school girls aged 10 years will access the vaccines from the health centres and through community based strategies.

Zambia joined the rest of the world to commemorate the World No Tobacco Day on 31st May under the theme “Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship”. The Ministry of Health took the lead in mobilising various partners and stakeholders to participate in the campaign events. Government Ministries and Departments, Non-Governmental Organizations, Youth Organizations, schools and community based organisations are taking part in the various advocacy and awareness raising events lined up for the WNTD 2013 campaign.

The WHO Representative, Dr. Olusegun Babaniyi conducted a familiarisation tour of the Lusaka Apex Medical University (LAMU) on Tuesday 16th July, 2013. During this visit, a donation was made to the school which included a reconditioned Toyota land cruiser Prado, a desktop computer and a Blue Trunk Library containing reference books on various health topics.

The donation to Lusaka Apex Medical University was intended to facilitate the smooth running of the institution in its quest to attain its objectives of increasing the numbers of health professionals in the country.

LUSAKA, 27th August 2014 - The Ebola outbreak in West Africa and in the Democratic Republic of Congo constitutes an “extraordinary event” and a public health risk to other states. The WHO Country Office donated a consignment of assorted supplies to the Ministry of Health to strengthen the national preparedness in case of an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.

Lusaka, 4 February 2015 -- It has been estimated that 23% of deaths or a population of 2.4 million per year is attributable to environmental risk factors, whose impact is especially felt among the poor and vulnerable (children, women and rural and people with disabilities).

About 60% of the ecosystem services are being degraded or subjected to pressure with consequences on the quality of air and water and an increase in natural disasters. Climate change is expected to affect health, agriculture, food security and water sectors.

Lusaka, 23 April, 2015 - The 5th regional launch of African Vaccination Week (AVW) 2015 took place in Lusaka, Zambia on Thursday, 23 April 2015 with the First Lady of Zambia, Mrs Esther Lungu kicking off the commemorations. She encouraged countries in Africa and immunization partners to make all efforts to reach the unreached children with vaccinations to avoid disease outbreaks and child mortality.

Lusaka, Zambia, June 4, 2015 – President Edgar Lungu of Zambia has paid tribute to the World Health Organization (WHO) for its continued role in the country’s health sector. He made these remarks when Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, paid a courtesy call on him as part of her three day official visit to Zambia.

Lusaka, 31t August, 2015 - The WHO Representative, Dr. Jacob Mufunda made a donation of 11, 297, 000 tablets of Albendazole 400mg tablets worth K2million to the Ministry of Health for deworming against soil transmitted helminthes in Children.

Lusaka, 4th December 2015 - Zambia joined the international community to commemorate the World AIDS Day under the theme “Zambia’s future, Getting to Zero New HIV Infections.” The WHO Country Office provided financial support towards the commemoration of this event and was part of the events in Livingstone, Southern province, which was the venue for the national commemoration. The national World AIDS Day commemoration was officially launched through a television broadcast by the Minister of Health on 30th November 2015.

Lusaka, 29th March 2016 - Zambia joined the rest of the international community to commemorate World TB Day under the theme “Unite to end TB.” The official launch of the commemorative activities took place in Ndola district on the copperbelt province on 23rd March 2016. The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya was the Guest of Honour. In his statement to mark the World TB Day, Dr. Chilufya said that Zamia had a high TB burden of 638 per 100,000 population as indicated in the national TB prevalence survey of 2014.