Articles about Zambia

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused huge disruption and restrictions for individuals globally, and has been felt acutely with challenges to accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. Yet, with challenges often come opportunities and the pandemic has enabled a transformation in how we deliver health and contraceptive care - especially to women and girls who are among the most affected in times of crisis. Adapting in a crisis to meet need Like many of our Member Associations, Planned Parenthood of Zambia (PPAZ), acted swiftly in March 2020 to develop a new and efficient strategic approach to healthcare delivery for its clients. PPAZ introduced an initiative that, for the first time, offered self-managed contraceptive care to women and young girls (15-49 years) across the four districts of Choma, Livingstone, Lusaka, and Kitwe. The PPAZ healthcare team identified eligible women to participate in the initiative through group counselling sessions on contraceptive methods (both hormonal and non-hormonal) via healthcare clinics and community outreach. The provision of accurate and easy-to-understand information on the types of contraceptive methods available gives women the knowledge and autonomy to make decisions about what method is right for them and their lifestyle.  Personal and convenient contraceptive care   Women who opted for oral contraceptives were provided with a six-month supply of Combined Oral Contraceptives (Microgynon, Zinnia-F), free-of-charge. While other women chose Sayana Press, which is the only self-administering contraception available in Zambia. They were trained on the correct technique for administering the dose (an injection in either the anterior thigh or abdomen), correct storage, and safe needle disposal. Effective for 12 weeks, the women were given a two-dose supply free-of-charge.  PPAZ healthcare teams trained 1,535 women on the Sayana Press method and 3,070 doses of the contraceptive were provided. They also provided follow-up appointments with their clients over several months to ensure correct use and address any concerns. Impressed with PPAZ’s presentation and discussion about how Sayana Press works and its benefits, 21-year-old Eunice Chikoti, chose the injectable because of its convenience. “They took time to explain how to self-inject and were very patient while doing so. They answered all my questions until I was satisfied,” she says. Despite her initial apprehension, Eunice was trained in how to self-inject safely and easily, “I thought it would be very difficult to self-inject, but once I followed the instructions of the nurse, I did so without any challenge,” she says. Eunice has a nine-month-old baby and hopes to have more children in the future. Commitment to self-managed care Due to the success of this strategy, which is not solely reliant on a healthcare provider, PPAZ plans to roll out the initiative to other districts across Zambia. This approach will ensure the most marginalized and low-resource settings are reached where access to healthcare and trained professionals is limited. [Insert quote from Jacob Mutambo here] PPAZ’s initiative has gone a long way in advancing the rights of women and young girls to sexual and reproductive healthcare. Through self-management of their contraceptive needs, women and young girls are exercising their right to bodily autonomy and personal choice with confidence. Read more here. Subscribe to IPPF’s newsletter for more engaging content about sexual healthcare. For more updates on our work, follow IPPF Africa Region on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube.  

La pandémie de la COVID-19 a provoqué des perturbations considérables dans tous les secteurs. Pour minimiser la propagation du coronavirus, les gouvernements ont mis en place diverses mesures, notamment des couvre-feux, des restrictions de mouvement dans les pays et des interdictions de rassemblements sociaux. Ces restrictions, combinées à la peur de contracter le virus dans les établissements de santé, ont empêché les populations de recourir aux services médicaux dans les centres de santé. La pandémie a mis en exergue le besoin urgent de réformer nos systèmes de santé, y compris les approches en matière de prestation de services. La pandémie a également eu un impact sur les services de santé sexuelle et reproductive (SSR) proposés par les associations membres (AM) de l’IPPF. Plusieurs d’entre elles ne pouvaient pas continuer à fournir des services de routine, la planification familiale et la contraception étant les plus touchés. Pour faire face à cette situation, les associations membres de l’IPPF ont dû faire preuve d’innovation dans leurs approches de prestation de services, en procédant aux ajustements nécessaires pour répondre aux besoins des clients tout en respectant les directives gouvernementales en matière de prestation de services de santé pendant la pandémie. L’une des façons dont nos AM se sont adaptées a été de mettre en place une stratégie d’autogestion de la planification familiale, adoptée par la Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ), qui est l’association membre de l’IPPF en Zambie. Télécharger le document complet ici: Formation des femmes à l’autogestion de la contraception en Zambie

The COVID-19 pandemic caused great disruptions across all sectors, and to curb the spread of the coronavirus, governments put in place various measures. These included curfews, in-country movement restrictions, and bans on social gatherings. These restrictions, combined with fear of contracting the virus at medical facilities created barriers that affected people’s uptake of services in health centers. The pandemic brought to light the urgent need for transformation in our health systems, including service delivery approaches. The sexual reproductive health (SRH) services offered by IPPF’s Member Associations (MAs) were similarly affected by the pandemic. Many were unable to continue providing routine services, with the most affected being family planning/contraception. To address this, IPPF Member Associations had to be inventive in their service delivery approaches, making necessary adjustments to accommodate client needs while still complying with government directives on health service provision during the pandemic. One of the ways our MAs adapted was through the strategy of self-managed care for family planning, which was embraced by the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ), which is IPPF’s MA in Zambia. Download the complete case study here:  Training Women on Self-Managed Care for Contraception in Zambia

Grace Banda, a young lady from Zambia has called on African Parliamentarians to exercise their role in ensuring that the health concerns of Africa’s youth are prioritized. “African countries must honor their commitments to the Abuja Declaration, as this will make tremendous improvements in the health sector, and more so those touching on adolescent and young people’s sexual reproductive health. As Africa’s youth, we urge our Parliamentarians to hold their governments to account on this pledge. They have the voice and the power to push for the realization of this commitment, as well as ensuring that other laws and policies touching on youth and sexual reproductive health are implemented in a timely and effective manner. Our African Parliamentarians are key to the achievement of Africa’s development goals, including the harnessing of the demographic dividend which calls for investments in youth,” said Ms. Banda, a 23 year-old Youth Action Movement (YAM) member from Zambia and an advocate against Child Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) among African girls. She made these remarks while addressing members of the Forum of African Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FPA) during a side event ahead of the 28th African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In April 2001, the African Union countries met and pledged to set a target of allocating at least 15% of their annual budget to improve the health sector and urged donor countries to scale up support. However, years later, many of these countries are yet to meet their targets. Parliamentarians can ensure that these commitments are implemented. In her speech, Ms. Banda also called on Parliamentarians to assist in ensuring that adolescents and young people have access to age-appropriate sexuality information, and that they can be able to access reproductive health services in a youth-friendly manner. “Many adolescents and youth make poor decisions about their sexuality because they lack accurate information. They are also not able to access contraceptive services because health service providers are not sensitive and accommodative to their needs. There are also many prohibitive policies that prevent young people from accessing these services, and which, if reviewed, will avert poor health outcomes among them such as teenage pregnancies, school dropouts and Sexually Transmitted Infections (including HIV) among others. We call on our Parliamentarians to push for the removal of such policies and development of supportive ones that will enable young people to live healthy and productive lives, which will be a great plus for Africa’s development,” she said. Speaking at the same forum, IPPF Africa Region Director Mr. Lucien Kouakou, emphasized that indeed, Parliamentarians are instrumental in harnessing the demographic dividend, as they are greatly involved in the formulation of various policies and legislations that pertain to the country’s development. “Parliamentarians have the capacity to influence their colleagues to push for the support and implementation of policies and legislations, especially those related to youth, health, population and development. They can call for more budgetary allocation to related Ministries, such as those of Youth, Gender and Social Affairs, Health, Education Planning and Development, as well as other institutions that focus on the youth and their reproductive health. They can also take the lead in seeking innovative ways of mobilizing resources at the local level that would champion population and related issues. Seeking African solutions to African problems through domestic funding is one way to realizing Africa’s development, and we count on our Parliamentarians to champion this cause,” he said. Story by Maryanne W. Waweru, IPPF Africa Region. For more updates on our work, follow IPPF Africa Region on Facebook and Twitter

1 July 2015, Lusaka, Zambia  A high-level African stakeholders meeting to dialogue on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) policies is currently underway in Lusaka, Zambia. The meeting, taking place from 29 June – 2 July 2015 brings together Civil Society, Regional Economic Blocs and Parliamentarians from different countries across Africa. The delegates are reviewing the implementation status of various SRHR policy frameworks, including the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the Maputo Plan of Action (MPoA), and the Millennium Development Goals. These frameworks were developed in response to the call for the reduction of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, and over the years have served as a guide towards the reduction of poverty in Africa; through SRHR interventions. Despite the existence of many progressive policy instruments at continental and regional levels, the SRHR situation on the continent still faces major challenges. Maternal Mortality Rates remain exceptionally high, humanitarian crisis are rife and adolescent and youth health concerns are yet to be fully addressed. Delegates are therefore expected to propose innovative strategies to improve SRHR policy implementation that is key in addressing the unfinished SRHR business. This meeting is timely, as lessons from the implementation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other past frameworks are being shared ahead of the launch of new 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Post 2015. Speaking during the opening ceremony on Tuesday 30 June, Zambia’s Deputy Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, representing Health Minister Hon. Joseph Kasonde, acknowledged the commitment demonstrated by African countries in the promotion of good sexual and reproductive health rights through development of comprehensive policies thus far. “Many countries have indeed adopted various SRHR policy instruments that continue to guide the sexual and reproductive health agenda in their countries. We have seen commitment by African leaders to addressing the stipulated targets in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and the Maputo Plan of Action (MPoA),” he said. The Zambian health minister however decried the fact that the SRHR agenda has not been accorded the priority it deserves in the national agenda in many countries.   “Because of lacklustre commitment by many African governments to implementing the health agenda in their countries, many SRHR initiatives remain under-resourced and inadequately implemented. Issues of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights remain at the periphery of our in-country development agendas, thus hampering the attainment of health goals. Arguably, this has continued to significantly stagnate Africa’s development progress,” Dr. Chilufya said. The Minister further urged African leaders to prioritize unmet SRHR targets and identify workable strategies as well as formidable areas of collaboration that will realize improved implementation of SRHR goals for the continent. The meeting convened by IPPF Africa Region has over 40 delegates participating and these include senior technocrats from the Africa Union Commission (AUC), East African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), Forum of Parliaments of International Conference in the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR) Pan- African Parliament (PAP), Members of Parliament from Uganda, Zambia and Cape Verde, Republic of South Africa Officials, West African Health Organization (WAHO), East Central and Southern Africa – Health Community (ECSA-HC), UNFPA, policy and economic experts, ,youth and women leaders, selected country experts as well as SRHR coalitions (RHANA) and relevant Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). “IPPF Africa Region, together with its 42 national Member Associations and affiliate partners in the civil society is keen on contributing to actions aimed at improving the implementation of SRHR policies in Africa. It is our belief that doing so will not only greatly reduce the high rates of maternal mortality and sexual gender based violence, but assure that every young and old African lives a quality life,” said the IPPFAR Regional Director Mr. Lucien Kouakou, who is represented at the forum by Ms. Caroline Kwamboka – the IPPFAR Senior Manager, External Relations and Advocacy. Mr. Sam Ntelamo, the Resident Representative, IPPFAR Liaison Office to the AU reiterated the call for collaborative efforts by all stakeholders in both the private and public sectors in addressing the development challenges faced by Africa. “Lack of resources is always an acute issue impeding the implementation of population and development agendas in developing countries. For example, the global resource target set at ICPD is far from being met –now that we are going into the post-2015 era. We firmly believe that global sustainable development requires the collective efforts of countries,” he said. Mr. Ntelamo further urged national governments, regional and international partners to enhance their commitment to various policy instruments, honor their pledges –especially those made at the ICPD, increase funding for population, family planning and reproductive health programmes in order to promote global sustainable development in Africa. Hon. Sylvia Ssinabulya, MP for Mityana district in Uganda emphasized the important roles of regional integration and regional economic blocs in mobilizing financial resources, even as African countries explore new financing options. “There is no doubt that regional integration can lead to our economic growth. Unfortunately, this potential has not been sufficiently harnessed and efforts so far have not been inclusive. They have not trickled down to improve SRHR indicators. Learning from this, we need to take advantage of regional economic bloc, as well as lay more emphasis on people-centered and inclusive development,” she said. Delegates at the meeting are expected to propose new financing for development options that African countries can explore, including domestic resource mobilization. This, in light of the noted constraints that prevent many African countries from attaining the ICPD, MPoA, MDGs and other health development goals, among them the chronic shortage of funds from both national budgets and donor countries.

African parliamentarians must seek ways of mobilizing resources to fund the demographic dividend agenda in their countries. This is according to the IPPF Africa Region Director Mr. Lucien Kouakou, who made these remarks during the closing ceremony of a two-day capacity building workshop for African Parliamentarians held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 14 – 15 December 2015. The meeting, attended by 13 legislators drawn from the Africa Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (FPA), was aimed at enhancing the legislators' understanding of the concept of the ‘Demographic Dividend’, and their role in moving forward related agenda. The demographic dividend refers to the accelerated economic growth initiated by a rapid decline in fertility and mortality, and which results in a change of the age structure in the population –from one dominated by child dependents to one driven by an economically productive adult workforce. “Harnessing the demographic dividend is fundamental to Africa’s development. A demographic shift in any population is important because of it's direct bearing to among others: economic growth, education levels, poverty levels and the health and well-being of a nation. The current demographic transition in Africa is one that has the ability to steer the next surge of economic growth - with a population characterized by healthier and more educated youth, and who will have greater access to the labour force and economic markets. African leaders therefore need to put in place measures that will ensure that the continent harnesses the dividend from Africa’s youthful population,” he said. A new report from the World Bank reveals that government policies and other related actions undertaken today will increase the likelihood of harnessing various economic and social benefits of demographic change. “Parliamentarians are instrumental in this process, as they are the ones involved in the formulation of policies and legislations. When a country has the right set of policies in place, it is better placed to reap the benefits of a demographic change, hence the need to involve Members of Parliament in all conversations around the demographic dividend. There is no doubt that the demographic dividend can be achieved in Africa, if the right policies are instituted,” said Mr. Kouakou. The capacity building initiative for the African legislators, organized by IPPF and UNFPA and themed: "Moving the Demographic Dividend Agenda: from Ideas to Actions", established a harmonized understanding of the demographic dividend among the MPs, and helped define their level of engagement in advancing this agenda in their countries. A clear roadmap for moving forward the demographic dividend agenda at both regional and national levels was developed during the forum. Members of parliament who attended the forum included: Hon. Chris Baryomunsi (Uganda), Hon. Marie-Rose Nguini Effa (Cameroon), Hon. Jose Manuel Tavares Sanches (Cape Verde), Hon. Mbaidessemel Dionadiji (Chad), Hon. Zalikatou Diallo (Guinea Conakry), Hon. Larry Younquoi (Liberia), Hon. Illa Ousmane (Niger), Hon. Helen Kuyembeh (Sierra Leone), Hon. Dlamini Princess Phumelele (Swaziland), Hon. Highvie Hamdudu (Zambia), Hon. Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman (Nigeria), Hon. Ahmed Babou Babah (Mauritania) and Hon. Sado Nazaire (Benin). In his speech, Mr. Kouakou called on the MPs to take a lead role in mobilizing resources that will ensure that the demographic dividend will be realized in their countries. “Parliamentarians can influence their colleagues and garner their support for the formulation of policies and legislations, specifically those related to population and development. They can call for more budgetary allocation to respective institutions, such as the Ministries of Planning and Development, The Ministries of Health and Education, as well as institutions that focus on the youth. They can also take the lead in seeking innovative ways of mobilizing resources at the local level that would champion population and related issues. Members of Parliament have an unmatched role in steering development in their countries,” he said. Mr. Kouakou further urged the legislators to take advantage of the resource that is partners who have a presence in the region, such as IPPF and UNFPA – entities that are committed to Africa’s growth. Development partners, if convinced that the demographic dividend is key to the growth of the region, will definitely assist in different ways, including offering technical assistance, capacity building and mobilization of resources, he said. “IPPF and UNFPA are committed to this agenda, and are working in collaboration with the Africa Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (FPA) to implement a programme that will ensure that all African countries are on track to realizing the demographic dividend. The project is initially slated for implementation in the six countries of Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad, with more countries being incorporated in the coming years. We are keen on ensuring that no country is left behind,” he said. The Africa Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (FPA), which was established in 2012, seeks to exchange and coordinate action in support of the ICPD Beyond 2014. FPA also seeks to ensure that parliamentarians assist in the implementation of the ICPD Beyond 2014 Agenda by adopting initiatives in population policies, as well as harmonisation of African legislation on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). At the Abidjan General Assembly meeting in 2014, FPA reaffirmed its purpose as a regional body established to drive the agenda on population and development at both the national and regional levels.