Lusaka – Zambia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Elijah Julaki Muchima, briefed a Pan-African Parliament (PAP) delegation on the country’s progress in maternal and child health, reporting significant reductions in maternal and under-five mortality. The delegation, led by PAP Health, Labour and Social Affairs Committee Chair, Prof. Margaret Kamar, visited Lusaka for a three-day Parliamentary Oversight Mission in collaboration with Africa CDC’s Southern Africa Regional Office.
Dr. Muchima attributed improvements to expanded primary healthcare services, increased access to skilled birth attendants, and strengthened childhood immunization programmes. He said Zambia is also investing in research to integrate traditional medicine with conventional healthcare to improve maternal and neonatal health, particularly in remote communities.
Between 2023 and 2025, skilled birth attendance reached 95 percent, and all health facilities were staffed with at least one qualified health worker. The government increased its health budget to K2.9 billion, targeting public health emergencies and pandemic preparedness. Progress was noted in HIV control after a spike in early 2022 when cases exceeded 14,000 with a case fatality rate near 45 percent. Dr. Muchima warned, however, that the country still faces a triple burden of disease, underfunding, and outbreaks of communicable diseases such as cholera.
Prof. Kamar praised Zambia’s regional cooperation and said the oversight mission would enhance parliamentary accountability and evidence-based policymaking. She noted that the assessment would examine how traditional medicine could complement formal healthcare, especially in underserved areas, supporting the development of a PAP Model Law on the Integration of Traditional Medicine.
Africa continues to struggle with maternal and neonatal mortality, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for about 70 percent of maternal deaths and 42 percent of neonatal deaths globally, according to WHO and Africa CDC. The AU has formally promoted traditional medicine as part of the continent’s healthcare strategy, recognizing its cultural relevance and accessibility.
The mission will review Zambia’s policies, programmes, and budgets on maternal and neonatal health, evaluate traditional medicine’s contribution to system resilience, and produce recommendations to accelerate efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
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