Muchinga is Zambia’s newest province. Established in 2011 out of the southern part of Northern Province, it is named for the Muchinga Mountains that divide the Luangwa and Chambeshi rivers and run along the western border of North Luangwa National Park, one of three national parks in the province. The famous Shiwang’andu hot springs and Africa House are located in the middle of the province.
USAID ACTIVITIES IN MUCHINGA PROVINCE
USAID/Zambia implements 14 activities in the Health, Education, Economic, and Democracy and Governance development sectors in Muchinga Province. The three largest activities in the province, in terms of annual funding, are USAID Let’s Read, DISCOVER-Health, and Action HIV.
Muchinga Province has an HIV prevalence rate of 5.4 percent, the lowest in the nation. A significant portion of USAID’s overall provincial investment focuses on preventing the spread of HIV and providing treatment and support services to persons living with HIV (PLHIV) to ensure Zambia is on track to achieve our 95-95-95 framework. Additional focus is placed on preventing new HIV infections through high-impact, evidence-based programs, with additional health funding channeled to gender-based violence prevention, family services, and TB detection and treatment.
Due to the high prevalence of malaria in the province, Muchinga is a focal area for malaria elimination under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), which delivers cost-effective, life-saving malaria interventions—such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and essential medicines—alongside catalytic technical and operational assistance.
In Muchinga Province, USAID operates its flagship USAID Let’s Read program, which aims to strengthen curriculum delivery to improve literacy levels in every community and government school in the province. In 2018, the Education Data Activity conducted an Early Grade Reading Assessment which set a baseline for USAID Let’s Read to help measure progress made towards national reading benchmarks for Grade 2 learners. Education programming accounts for a large portion of USAID’s overall provincial investment in Muchinga Province.
DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE
Accountable Governance for Improved Service Delivery (AGIS)
AGIS supports the Zambian government to improve efficiencies and transparency of public expenditures in the health and education sectors. AGIS increases sustainable financing by building citizen confidence in government systems, freeing up existing resources to better serve Zambians, and helping the government provide services where they are needed most. In Muchinga province, AGIS is implemented in Chinsali, Mpika, and Mafinga districts.
Prime Partner: Crown Agents USA
Duration: Sept. 2017 – Sept. 2022
Local Impact Governance
Local Impact Governance supports Zambia’s Decentralization Implementation Plan in coordination with the Cabinet Office, Decentralization Secretariat, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Local Government Service Commission, and the Ministry of Finance. The program supports Local Authorities to improve the quality and transparency of planning, budgeting, and implementation, to incorporate greater citizen and private sector participation into governance processes, and to improve public financial management and own source revenue mobilization. Local Impact Governance supports eight Local Authorities in Muchinga Province.
Partner: DAI Global
Duration: Nov. 2020 - Nov. 2025
Open Spaces
Open Spaces aims to strengthen the democratic foundations of freedom of speech and media independence, advocate for an improved legal and policy environment for media, and build the technical and operational capacity of local media houses.
Partners: FHI 360 and Internews
Duration: July 2021 - June 2026
EDUCATION
Education Data
The Education Data activity provides assessment, data management, research, and evaluation services for USAID, and provides baselines and mid-point data to measure the progress of the USAID Let’s Read project against its targets in order to identify priority areas, inform decision making, and strengthen the capacity of the Zambian government to improve learning outcomes in Zambia.
Prime Partner: DevTech Systems, Inc.
Duration: April 2018 – Dec. 2022
EduFinance
EduFinance is USAID’s core private sector partnership in the education sector. The activity leverages essential private capital to improve access to quality primary education for students in target catchment zones. In partnership with the Ministry of General Education (MOGE), the project is developing and implementing a comprehensive policy and regulatory environment to reduce barriers to entry for non-state primary education providers. EduFinance also works with the MOGE to develop administrative capacity to effectively regulate the non-state education sector. The activity will ultimately improve educational access and equity by increasing enrollment opportunities for primary school students in Zambia.
Partners: Palladium, Opportunity International (Sub), Education Partnership Group, and PEAS
Duration: June 2020 - Sept. 2024
USAID Let’s Read Project
USAID Let’s Read works with the Ministry of General Education to improve reading outcomes for over 125,000 children in Muchinga Province. The project strengthens delivery of the primary literacy curriculum through improved teaching and learning materials, regular pupil learning assessments, school and learner performance tracking, and engagement with communities and the private sector. The goal of the activity is to ensure students read with age-appropriate comprehension and fluency in one of Zambia’s seven official languages of instruction. USAID Let’s Read is operational in all community and public schools in the province.
Prime Partner: Education Development Center
Duration: Jan. 2019 – Jan. 2024
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Integrated Land and Resource Governance (ILRG) Program
The ILRG program aims to bolster the ability of local organizations and communities, district and national government, and traditional leaders to document land and resource rights, and use this data to inform land-use planning and development decisions. This project aims to improve management of natural resources and ensure adequate tenure rights and economic benefits to communities.
Prime Partner: Tetra Tech ARD
Duration: July 2018 – July 2023
HEALTH
Action HIV
USAID Action HIV aims to reduce HIV mortality, morbidity, and transmission by achieving the UNAIDS and PEPFAR goal of 95-95-95 HIV treatment coverage and providing comprehensive HIV prevention and care and treatment maintenance services in Luapula, Muchinga, and Northern provinces. Additionally, USAID Action HIV strengthens public financial management systems in provinces where USAID has government-to-government agreements. In order to achieve these objectives, USAID Action HIV strengthens systems and provides direct service delivery at the province, district, facility, and community levels.
Prime Partner: Right to Care Zambia
Duration: June 2021 - June 2026
Community Radio Program (CRP)
The CRP activity aims to improve the health of women and children by addressing family planning, nutrition, gender-based violence, and HIV, through radio programming. Each 156-minute episode is broadcast in a local Zambian language and is carefully designed to integrate cultural relevance and Muchinga Province’s context and characteristics. The goal of CRP is to present relatable storylines that resonate emotionally with a Zambian audience and inspire long-term positive behavior change.
Prime Partner: Population Media Center
Duration: Feb. 2018 – Dec. 2022
USAID District Coverage of Health Services (DISCOVER-Health)
USAID DISCOVER-Health supports HIV prevention and treatment, family planning, and maternal and child health programs. The project scales up Test and Start HIV treatment, facilitates the access to and uptake of family planning and HIV prevention services, and ensures a strong continuum of care between clinics and communities. In Muchinga Province, DISCOVER-Health is active in Chinsali, Isoka, Mpika, and Nakonde districts.
Partner: John Snow, Inc.
Duration: Dec. 2015 – March 2023
Eradicate Tuberculosis (ETB)
ETB works in partnership with the Zambian government, the National TB Control Program, private sector, and other partners to strengthen the response in each of Muchinga’s districts. ETB focuses on finding new TB cases, laboratory strengthening, management of drug-resistant TB, and operational research. The project targets high TB-burden communities.
Prime Partner: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
Duration: May 2017 – Sept. 2022
Family Health and Nutrition (FHN)
The USAID FHN activity aims to strengthen the capacity of the Zambian public health system to sustainably deliver reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH&N) services through improved service-delivery capacity, strengthened health management and financial systems, and improved engagement of communities in health.
Partner: Jhpiego
Duration: June 2021 - June 2026
Program for the Advancement of Malaria Outcomes (PAMO) PLUS
PAMO Plus reduces malaria morbidity and mortality by increasing access to and uptake of quality malaria control interventions, supporting the implementation of the National Malaria Strategic Plan, and strengthening malaria prevention and case management activities. Through community mobilization and social and behavior change, PAMO Plus works with communities to adopt healthy behaviors in each of Muchinga’s districts.
Prime Partner: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
Duration: Sept. 2020 – Sept. 2025
Zambia Community HIV Prevention Project (Z-CHPP)
Z-CHPP aims to prevent new HIV infections through community-based behavioral interventions, improved condom accessibility and acceptability, and promotion of high-impact services. In partnership with the Zambian government, Z-CHPP supports the development of community groups that mitigate risky behaviors, increase referrals from community to clinical services, and reduce the vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women to HIV infection. Z-CHPP is implemented in Nakonde District.
Partner: Pact, Inc.
Duration: Nov. 2015 – Nov. 2022