Zambia
This program is targeted for implementation in five provinces, namely Central, Copperbelt, Luapula, Muchinga and North-Western. As Zambia was lagging well behind in linking patients to ART treatment, EQUIP embarked on a collaboration with the local USAID Mission and implementing partners, FHI360 and Discover H on an accelerated mop-up operations to bridge the treatment initiation gap. The teams engaged on a massive staff deployment, testing some 10,000 people and initiating a further 2,800 on treatment, thereby bridging the treatment gap of those that were pre-ART
Continue reading
Our Consortium Partners
- Right to Care
Our Supporting Partners
- HE2RO
- NHLS (Wits Pathology)
- SEAD
Population
- 17 Million
GDP in 2016
- $19.55 Billion USD
HIV Statistics
More about the work we do in Zambia
Strategically, a combination of pre-ART register auditing, index testing and targeting high yielding sub district populations supported the mop-up. The practice of extending clinic hours and offering flexible opening hours is a key intervention allowing for daily ART initiation as well as weekend ART initiation.
Having successfully completed the geographic information system (GIS) mapping of the healthcare facilities and road infrastructure in Zambia, EQUIP’s country programme is now poised to provide rapid test and start roll-out support, differentiated models of ART delivery with a focus on multi-month scripting and dispensing at facility and community level, as well as centralized chronic medicine dispensing and distribution.
The EQUIP Zambia programme also provides strategies and technologies for more efficient increases of HIV testing yield; initiation and retention on ART; and viral load suppression for both children and adults. Innovative approaches that support the rapid scale-up of viral load monitoring, and demonstration projects focused on HIV self-testing, are also a focus area of the EQUIP programme in Zambia.
About Zambia
Nevertheless, much remains to be done to advance development. Three out of four people still live in extreme poverty and the country faces major challenges, including high unemployment, low agricultural productivity, inadequate road and energy infrastructure, poor education outcomes, and health crises caused by HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
Zambia has tremendous natural resource wealth but faces increasing threats to its environment, including deforestation and wildlife trafficking, and the effects of climate shocks. Due to economic, social, and biological inequalities, women are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS than men.
Zambia in the news
Using Technology to Data Capture
In Zambia, an EQUIP supported country, EQUIP research assistance Chitalu Mpanda captures Beauty's information using a SIM-enabled tablet. This smart technology tracks, stores and sends information for real time data capture. Collected over a number of months, [...]
Spotlight on HIV Community Researchers
Community health worker in Zambia, Precious Mary Manzi, has been part of the EQUIP Right to Care country program since August 2017. Here she is conducts a research interview with Jessica Mwale who is HIV positive. [...]
Raymond Chalwe’s Message on World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day is an opportunity to show solidarity with the millions of people living with HIV worldwide. Raymond Chalwe from Zambia, an EQUIP-supported country, tested positive for HIV on 29 August 2017 and started treatment [...]