Stories from Zambia

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.

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.