Stories from Zambia

Ritah, age 19, Esther, age 22, and Mary, age 23 are typical of a new generation of Zambian women who enter the workforce before marrying and having children.

How collaboration between animal experts, government officials, and curious citizens protected a wayward rhino who wandered beyond the safety of his national park

In Zambia, better data and community engagement help to combat the mosquito-borne disease

Meet Pastor Laibot Mbika. Pastor Laibot is one of many people of faith who has helped reduce the risk of COVID-19 illness and deaths in Zambia through effective community engagement.

In Mambwe, the indoor residual sprayers, better known as the “Soldiers Against Mosquitos”, are a key part of the U.S.-Zambia partnership against malaria, which sprayed 717,000 structures in Copperbelt, Eastern, and Luapula provinces and protected over three million people in 2021.

Hundreds of students gathered at Chawama Grounds in Lusaka to join the kick-off activities for the Lusaka Province COVID-19 Vaccination Drive in July. A partnership between Zambia Ministry of Health, USAID, and other partners, the vaccination drive marked the start of a two-week push to increase vaccination rates throughout Lusaka Province, which, at the start of the campaign, had the lowest vaccination rate in the country. 

At the close of each day, Luyando Handya, the Acting Manager of Kamitondo Clinic in Zambia's Kitwe District, holds her tablet in her hands, carefully adding data on the number of COVID-19 tests, cases, and vaccinations that were recorded that day.

“I had a cough and night sweats for four days. I felt terrible. I immediately thought, ‘this must be tuberculosis’, so I proceeded straight to the chest clinic for evaluation.” These were the thoughts of Lweendo Mweemba, a tuberculosis (TB) treatment supporter who works in the Chilanga urban clinic in Lusaka under the USAID supported Tuberculosis Local Organizations Network (TBLON) project.

Meet Dr. Adrian Moyo, a Zambian medical doctor and public health leader.  Doc Moyo, as he is affectionately known, recently embarked on a mission to encourage his colleagues, family members, and community to get vaccinated against COVID-19.  Through his efforts, Doc Moyo has convinced more than 300 people to visit a health facility to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. 

The mother of six children, Nzovwa Sakala lives in Mkopeka, a small village in Zambia’s Eastern Province.  When her youngest child, Eunice, was five months old, they joined a SUpErCDZ parenting support group.  Through the group meetings, Nzovwa learned about the important role of play and nutrition in a child’s development.