United Nations in Zambia

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Zambia:

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25 September 2020

Have your say. Shape your future.

To mark its 75th anniversary, the United Nations is launching a global conversation on the role of international cooperation in building the future we want.

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05 November 2022

Zambia-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Launched

Her Honour the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, Mrs. W.K. Mutale Nalumango, on 4 November 2022 launched the Government of Zambia-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, that defines United Nations support to Zambia’s development for the period 2023-2027. The Cooperation Framework is aimed at supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and delivering the 2030 Agenda in an integrated manner, as well as to support the country’s development priorities as outlined in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). The Cooperation Framework was co-signed by Her Honour the Vice President on behalf of the Zambian Government and by Ms Mutali on behalf of the United Nations System in Zambia. The German Ambassador to Zambia H.E. Anne Wagner-Mitchell represented the Cooperating Partners Group, and emphasized the importance of this historic ceremony, as well as the UN Reform. Speaking at the ceremony, that was witnessed by over 300 guests that included Government officials, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Heads of UN Agencies and staff, Civil Society, and the media, the Vice President noted continued commitment by the United Nations in the improvement of the lives of the Zambian people and the value of the Cooperation Framework in the country’s development. “The Zambian people value the support and partnership of the United Nations towards Zambia’s development agenda. This new Cooperation Framework is welcome because it will complement Zambia’s development agenda as contained in the recently launched Eight National Development Plan,” said Mrs Nalumango. The Vice President also called on both the Zambian Government and the United Nations to ensure successful implementation of the Cooperation Framework. For her part, Ms Mutali underscored the importance of ownership and partnership to ensure the success of the Cooperation Framework. “The Cooperation Framework does not belong to the United Nations. It is a joint commitment by the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the United Nations to work in close partnership, with the support of cooperating partners and other key stakeholders, including civil society, to contribute to ensuring better lives for the people of Zambia,” she said. Through the work of 23 UN agencies in Zambia, the new Cooperation Framework will provide interventions across four pillars, namely Prosperity, People, Peace, and Planet which align to the four strategic Priority Areas of the 8NDP. It will be implemented based on the core principles on the United Nations which are Leaving no One Behind, Human Rights, Gender Equality and Women’s empowerment, sustainability and Resilience and Accountability. The Cooperation Framework was formulated through a consultative process with the involvement of UN agencies, Government, Civil Society, Private Sector, Development Partners, Academia, Trade Unions, and Regional Bodies, among other stakeholders. In the spirit of Leaving No One Behind, several groups were also extensively consulted which included the youth, women, refugees, former refugees, immediate host communities, migrants, Persons with Disabilities, People Living with HIV/AIDS and key populations, among others. Implemented following UN General Assembly resolution 72/279, the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework is a strategic, medium-term results framework that describes the collective vision in support of national development priorities and results. ###

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30 October 2022

UN Zambia Staff, Family and Friends Hold Awareness Walk to Celebrate UN Day

As part of the 77th UN Day commemoration, UN Zambia Resident Coordinator Ms Beatrice Mutali, with Heads of Agencies, on 29 October led 550 staff, family members and friends on a 3.9 kilometres Awareness Walk in Lusaka to share information about the work of the United Nations. The walk was also meant to promote Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 3 of Good Health and Wellbeing. The walk, which the Resident Coordinator flagged off from the UN House, terminated at East Park Mall where free public health checks were provided by a team of UN medical personnel and partner institutions as well as a UN Job Fair by the UN Zambia Human Resource Technical Working Group. Hundreds of members of the public, including youth, had the opportunity to learn about how to apply for jobs and volunteering opportunities in the UN, both at home and abroad. Human Resource officers from several UN agencies emphasized that the UN is an equal opportunity employer and that it does not charge any fees during the recruitment process. Members of the public are invited to East Park mall and have one on one discussions with members of the human resource team who will be discussing how to apply for jobs in the United Nations. There will also be free health checks conducted by UN medical team and its partners. The United Nations in Zambia remains committed to supporting Zambia’s development aspirations, leaving no one behind.

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24 October 2022

Zambia and the United Nations: a solid partnership to improve the lives of the most vulnerable leaving no one behind

October is a very auspicious month for both the Republic of Zambia and the United Nations (UN). On the 24th of this month, the country celebrates 58 years of independence, while the UN marks 77 years since its founding on 24 October 1945. On the ashes of the Second World War, 51 countries came together and declared that there had been enough destruction and loss of human life occasioned by the fighting. Meeting in San Francisco from April to June 1945, they wrote the UN Charter that established the organization with the common goal of working together to prevent wars and to make the world a better and safer place for future generations. Seventy-seven years later, the United Nations has become an organization consisting of 193 Member States with the last country to join being the Republic of South Sudan in 2011. All countries, large and small, rich and poor, with differing political views and social systems, have a voice and a vote at the UN General Assembly. The organization has continued to make the world a better place with fewer conflicts and massive humanitarian support benefiting millions of people every day. In Zambia, the UN started its operations in the early days following Zambia’s independence and ever since it has delivered developmental and humanitarian support, particularly, through the joint activities targeted at building a stronger and democratic country where all people enjoy their human rights. Since then, the UN System in Zambia which comprises 23 agencies supported by over 800 committed staff, delivering as one, has been working tirelessly, hand in hand with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, cooperating and implementing partners to ensure sustainability, and has invested considerable efforts in developing national capacities to lead reforms, implement new laws and strategies to improve the lives of all people living in Zambia. In the last two years, despite huge challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous efforts were made to support the country’s priorities. With the financial and technical support from the UN System and partners, the Government developed the COVID-19 Resurgence Plan which reintroduced public health and social measures aimed at controlling transmission and mitigating severe illnesses and deaths, as well as the socio-economic impact. A COVID-19 Recovery Needs Assessment plan was also developed to assess the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic as a basis for ensuring innovative partnerships and financing opportunities to support the implementation of the national development plans, including the 8th National Development Plan (8NDP). Through the COVAX facility, the UN supported the Government to access the COVID-19 vaccines and promoted vaccination uptake through Risk Communication and Community Engagement messages and activities. Over six million people across all 10 provinces of Zambia were reached with key prevention and vaccine promotion messages. Thanks to all collective efforts, about 70 per cent of the population is now fully vaccinated, meeting the national target that was set to be achieved by the end of 2022. Now that we have passed the worst of the pandemic, the Government of the Republic of Zambia with the UN and the support of partners continue to address its socio-economic impacts, working jointly to alleviate household poverty through the implementation of the National Social Protection Policy. It is expected that 1.3 million beneficiaries will be reached by the end of 2023. The country is making remarkable efforts to improve the lives of its population. Recently, during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) held in New York in September, the President of Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema participated in the Transforming Education Summit and presented the national commitment to elevate education to the top of the global agenda. Further, the President shared the steps Zambia has taken to make education free and accessible to all, stressing that an educated population was essential for economic development and that young people should be kept in school and supported to develop skills. In addition, the Government recently presented the 2023 National Budget, which includes a substantial increase of more than 30 per cent in the social sector. About 3,000 new health personnel and 4,500 teachers will be recruited, and new health facilities, early childhood centres and schools will be constructed, to cite a few examples. As we celebrate this year’s UN Day, we remain committed to continue our support to Zambia's development. The collaboration between the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the UN will be guided by the 2023-2027 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework which will be officially signed and launched this month. Fully aligned to the 8th National Development Plan, the Cooperation Framework represents a joint commitment by the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the UN System to work in close partnership to achieve national priorities guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and international human and labour rights commitments. We look forward to working with the Government and all stakeholders to ensure transformative change in Zambia, leaving no one behind. This is more urgent than ever as we only have eight years before the year 2030 by which we should have all made progress on the SDGs. Happy independence Zambia, Happy UN anniversary! To learn more about the UN, visit zambia.un.org and www.un.org.

The author is Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Zambia.

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09 September 2022

Joint SDG Fund Supports National Planning and Budgeting in Zambia

As part of the SDG funded Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) Joint Programme, UNDP provided critical support towards the implementation of the Planning and Budgeting Act No.1 of 2020, whose aim is to provide for an integrated national planning and budgeting process by strengthening accountability, oversight and participation mechanisms. In doing so, UNDP partnered with the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR), a national think tank, to provide timely capacity building through the preparation of a Budget Analysis Toolkit and the provision of targeted technical trainings for law makers (Members of Parliament) and policy makers (Permanent Secretaries). Beyond raising awareness on the national budget and its formulation process, the Budget Analysis Toolkit will strengthen the capacity of policy and law makers and the public on the analytical activities involved in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the national budget. Specifically, the Toolkit will facilitate understanding and interpreting of the national budgets within the national development planning and financing. With the toolkit, members of the executive and legislative branches of government, are better equipped with knowledge, skills, competences, and practical examples for making evidence informed inputs, comments, and advocating for the right fiscal policies to be employed towards the achievement of the national objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The training seminar for the Members of Parliament was officially opened by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Malungo Chisangano on 19 December 2021, followed by three targeted sessions for MPs, and Staff of the National Assembly. The Budget Analysis Toolkit was launched on the 23 February 2022 in Chilanga district by the Secretary to the Cabinet, Patrick Kangwa in a training seminar attended by Permanent Secretaries representing all key sectors and government ministries. A total of 49 MPs and Clerking Staff of the National Assembly attended the training seminars while 59 PSs participated for the members of the executive, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 108 out of the targeted one hundred representing 108% achievement. From the 108 participants, 48% were female while 52% were male, showing a particularly good gender representation. Following the training there has been an overwhelming demand for the Budget Analysis Toolkit, from the various spheres of the government, the public, the private sector and the donor community, whose interest has gone beyond just understanding the budget, but has also triggered more discussions around fiscal space for SDGs and budget transparency. For the National Assembly, the training on budget analysis and the Toolkit were as they will enhance the capacity of the MPs and improve Parliament’s oversight role in budget scrutiny and interpretation. In addition, the Toolkit came at a time when the new government and Parliament had just initiated their mandates, and good proficiency in subjects such as the budget forms the basis for their day-to-day responsibilities. In the backdrop of the new government’s focus on transparency and accountability, the launch of the Toolkit calls for controlling officers, as fore runners in helping government to execute and account for the public funds, to gain a better understanding and be better equipped to not only scrutinize the national budget, but to also meaningfully master the various analytical issues on the budget. Permanent Secretaries have the most crucial role in ensuring enhanced internal control systems to promote greater transparency and accountability in the utilization of public resources. The training has had an overwhelming acceptance and demand from the three arms government, which have renewed requests for more support on planning and budgeting in line with the 8NDP and the SDGs. UNDP will continue leveraging from the catalytic SDG Fund supported INFF Joint Project to provide the critical capacity strengthening for the government at national and sub-national levels to enhance evidence-based planning, budgeting, and financing for SDGs. And within the implementation of the National Planning and Budgeting Act no. 1 of 2020, UNDP will provide targeted training in areas such as sector budget analysis, gender-based budgeting, constituency development resource mobilization and funding, budget tracking, domestic resource mobilization.

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17 August 2022

Holding onto hope

When the merchant vessel Razoni sailed from Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa earlier this month with more than 26,000 tons of corn for global markets, she was rightly the subject of intense attention. Her passage was the result of months of negotiations between Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations, including UN humanitarian staff, logisticians and legal experts. For the first time since the war in Ukraine began five months earlier, sea exports of Ukrainian crops were to resume, giving much-needed hope to millions of people beaten down by rising food prices and declining supplies, pushing many into hunger and even famine conditions. And hope is so rare these days. Conflicts. Hunger. The climate crisis. Droughts. Poverty. A pandemic. In more than 40 years of aid work, I don’t remember the world being so overwhelmed with problems and in such urgent need of action to solve them. Right now, a record 303 million people need humanitarian aid. But despite this grim picture, I still hold on to hope. Why? Because over the years, I have seen that while conflicts and other crises bring out the worst, they also inspire the very best in humanity. Even in the depths of despair and division, there are glimmers of hope — from new solutions to seemingly intractable problems, to acts of generosity and kindness that bring solace to the suffering. Delivering hope and standing in solidarity are at the very heart of humanitarian action. Today, on World Humanitarian Day, we want to celebrate this spirit, for in some of the bleakest situations it may be all that people have. There is a phrase “It takes a village to raise a child.” Likewise, it takes a village to help a community in crisis. This village is made up of affected communities themselves, who are always first to respond when crisis strikes, backed up by a support system of national emergency services, local businesses and civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UN agencies, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent family. Many are international aid workers, but the vast majority of humanitarians are from the crisis-affected countries themselves. Every hour of every day, this humanitarian ‘village’ steps up to organize relief deliveries, distribute cash, set up mobile health clinics and schools, build water pumps, airlift nutrition supplies, provide counselling support and so much more, supporting millions of people balancing on the edge of survival. This village is populated by aid workers like Zuhra Wardak, a champion of girls’ education and gender issues, who was one of the first to return to work in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover. And Andrii, a driver with Ukrainian NGO Proliska, who risks his life to evacuate people from areas under bombardment. And Amina Haji Elmi, a women’s rights champion in Somalia, who realized helping women was her mission after she and her family were displaced by conflict in that country. There are also glimmers of hope at the wider level. For instance, amid the relentless violence in Ukraine, we have seen thousands of volunteers assisting people trapped in war zones, and the generosity of communities that have welcomed Ukrainian refugees, echoing a long tradition of neighbourly support that is evident from Bangladesh to Colombia, from Jordan to Uganda. We can draw inspiration from political progress made in brutal and bloody crises like Yemen, where the truce has held, dissipating some of the constant fear of violence. From improved access to people in need in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, which, thanks to persistent and painstaking negotiations, has enabled aid convoys to reach people who desperately need food. From the passing of Security Council resolution 2642 allowing cross-border aid to continue into north-west Syria, extending a lifeline for millions of people at least for the next few months. And from the Navi Star, Polarnet, Razoni, Rojen and many other ships that carried Ukrainian crops to the rest of the world, offering a grain of hope to some of the 345 million people suffering from food shortages. On World Humanitarian Day, let us take a moment to recognize all those who work tirelessly, day and night, to enact solidarity often at great personal sacrifice. They save lives in places that the world too often chooses to forget and where the risks are real: 461 aid workers were attacked last year while responding to humanitarian crises — 141 of them were killed, all but a few of them national staff. The courage and conviction of these aid workers, always pushing for ways to reach people even in the worst of the worst of crises, inspire us to never give up hope. As we mark this year’s World Humanitarian Day we commemorate those we have lost. And we celebrate all humanitarians who carry on this noble mission together. After all, it takes a village.

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Press Release

29 November 2022

Inequalities are blocking the end of the AIDS pandemic, say UN

UNAIDS set out earlier this year that the AIDS response is in danger—with rising new infections and continuing deaths in many parts of the world. Now, a new report from UNAIDS shows that inequalities are the underlying reason why. It shows how world leaders can tackle those inequalities, and calls on them to be courageous to follow what the evidence reveals. Dangerous Inequalities unpacks the impact on the AIDS response of gender inequalities, of inequalities faced by key populations, and of inequalities between children and adults. It sets out how worsening financial constraints are making it more difficult to address those inequalities. The report shows how gender inequalities and harmful gender norms are holding back the end of the AIDS pandemic. “The world will not be able defeat AIDS while reinforcing patriarchy,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. “We need to address the intersecting inequalities women face. In areas of high HIV burden, women subjected to intimate partner violence face up to a 50% higher chance of acquiring HIV. Across 33 countries from 2015-2021 only 41% of married women aged 15-24 could make their own decisions on sexual health. The only effective route map to ending AIDS, achieving the sustainable development goals and ensuring health, rights and shared prosperity, is a feminist route map. Women’s rights organizations and movements are already on the frontlines doing this bold work. Leaders need to support them and learn from them.” The effects of gender inequalities on women’s HIV risks are especially pronounced in sub- Saharan Africa, where women accounted for 63% of new HIV infections in 2021. Adolescent girls and young women (aged 15 to 24 years) are three times more likely to acquire HIV than adolescent boys and young men of the same age group in sub-Saharan Africa. The driving factor is power. One study showed that enabling girls to stay in school until they complete secondary education reduces their vulnerability to HIV infection by up to 50%. When this is reinforced with a package of empowerment support, girls’ risks are reduced even further. Leaders need to ensure all girls are in school, are protected from violence which is often normalized including through underage marriages, and have economic pathways that guarantee them a hopeful future. By interrupting the power dynamics, policies can reduce girls’ vulnerability to HIV. Harmful masculinities are discouraging men from seeking care. While 80% of women living with HIV were accessing treatment in 2021, only 70% of men were on treatment. Increasing gender- transformative programming in many parts of the world is key to halting the pandemic. Advancing gender equality will benefit everyone. 2 0 3 0 | E n d i n g t h e A I D S e p i d e m i c The report shows that the AIDS response is being held back by inequalities in access to treatment between adults and children. While over three quarters of adults living with HIV are on antiretroviral therapy, just over half of children living with HIV are on the lifesaving medicine. This has had deadly consequences. In 2021, children accounted for only 4% of all people living with HIV but 15% of all AIDS-related deaths. Closing the treatment gap for children will save lives. Discrimination against, stigmatization and criminalization of key populations are costing lives and preventing the world from achieving agreed AIDS targets. New analysis shows no significant decline in new infections among gay men and other men who have sex with men in both the western and central Africa and eastern and southern Africa regions. Facing an infectious virus, failure to make progress on key populations undermines the entire AIDS response and helps explain slowing progress. Around the world, over 68 countries still criminalize same sex sexual relations. Another analysis highlighted in the report found that gay men and other men who have sex with men who live in African countries with the most repressive laws are more than three times less likely to know their HIV status than their counterparts living in countries with the least repressive laws, where progress as far more rapid. Sex workers who live in countries where sex work is criminalized have a 7 times greater chance to be living with HIV than in countries where sex work is legal or partially legalized. The report shows progress against inequalities is possible and highlights areas where the AIDS response has made remarkable progress. For example, while surveys among key populations often highlight lower service coverage among key populations, three counties in Kenya have achieved higher HIV treatment coverage among female sex workers than among the general population of women (aged 15-49 years). This has been helped by strong HIV programming over many years, including community-led services. “We know what to do to end inequalities,” said Ms Byanyima. “Ensure that all of our girls are in school, safe and strong. Tackle gender based violence. Support women’s organisations. Promote healthy masculinities—to take the place of the harmful behaviours which exacerbate risks for everyone. Ensure services for children living with HIV reach them and meet their needs, closing the treatment gap so that we end AIDS in children for good. Decriminalize people in same-sex relationships, sex workers, and people who use drugs, and invest in community-led services that enable their inclusion — this will help break down barriers to services and care for millions of people.” The new report shows donor funding is helping catalyse increased domestic funding: increases in external HIV funding for countries from PEPFAR and the Global Fund during 2018-2021 were correlated with increases in domestic funding from a majority of national governments. New investments to address HIV-related inequalities are urgently needed. At a moment when international solidarity and a surge of funding is most needed, too many high-income countries are cutting back aid for global health. In 2021, funding available for HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries was US$ 8 billion short. Increasing donor support is vital to getting the AIDS response back on track. Budgets need to prioritize the health and well-being of all people, especially vulnerable populations that are most affected by HIV-related inequalities. Fiscal space for health investments in low- and middle-income countries needs to be expanded, including through substantial debt cancellation and through progressive taxation. Ending AIDS is far less expensive than not ending AIDS. In 2021, 650 000 people were lost to AIDS and 1.5 million people newly acquired HIV. “What world leaders need to do is crystal clear,” said Ms Byanyima. “In one word: Equalize. Equalize access to rights, equalize access to services, equalize access to the best science and medicine. Equalizing will not only help the marginalised. It will help everyone.” [ENDS] Contact UNAIDS | Sophie Barton Knott | tel. +41 79 514 6896 | bartonknotts@unaids.org UNAIDS The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Download report below

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Press Release

05 November 2022

Zambia-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Launched

Her Honour the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia,
Mrs. W.K. Mutale Nalumango, today launched the Government of Zambia-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, that defines United Nations support to Zambia’s development for the period 2023-2027. The Cooperation Framework is aimed at supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and delivering the 2030 Agenda in an integrated manner, as well as to support the country’s development priorities as outlined in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). The Cooperation Framework was co-signed by Her Honour the Vice President on behalf of the Zambian Government and by Ms Mutali on behalf of the United Nations System in Zambia. The German Ambassador to Zambia H.E. Anne Wagner-Mitchell represented the Cooperating Partners Group, and emphasized the importance of this historic ceremony, as well as the UN Reform. Speaking at the ceremony, that was witnessed by over 300 guests that included Government officials, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Heads of UN Agencies and staff, Civil Society, and the media, the Vice President noted continued commitment by the United Nations in the improvement of the lives of the Zambian people and the value of the Cooperation Framework in the country’s development. “The Zambian people value the support and partnership of the United Nations towards Zambia’s development agenda. This new Cooperation Framework is welcome because it will complement Zambia’s development agenda as contained in the recently launched Eight National Development Plan,” said Mrs Nalumango. The Vice President also called on both the Zambian Government and the United Nations to ensure successful implementation of the Cooperation Framework. For her part, Ms Mutali underscored the importance of ownership and partnership to ensure the success of the Cooperation Framework. “The Cooperation Framework does not belong to the United Nations. It is a joint commitment by the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the United Nations to work in close partnership, with the support of cooperating partners and other key stakeholders, including civil society, to contribute to ensuring better lives for the people of Zambia,” she said. Through the work of 23 UN agencies in Zambia, the new Cooperation Framework will provide interventions across four pillars, namely Prosperity, People, Peace, and Planet which align to the four strategic Priority Areas of the 8NDP. It will be implemented based on the core principles on the United Nations which are Leaving no One Behind, Human Rights, Gender Equality and Women’s empowerment, sustainability and Resilience and Accountability. The Cooperation Framework was formulated through a consultative process with the involvement of UN agencies, Government, Civil Society, Private Sector, Development Partners, Academia, Trade Unions, and Regional Bodies, among other stakeholders. In the spirit of Leaving No One Behind, several groups were also extensively consulted which included the youth, women, refugees, former refugees, immediate host communities, migrants, Persons with Disabilities, People Living with HIV/AIDS and key populations, among others. Implemented following UN General Assembly resolution 72/279, the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework is a strategic, medium-term results framework that describes the collective vision in support of national development priorities and results.

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Press Release

21 September 2022

Heads of State commit to Noncommunicable Disease Global Compact to save 50 million lives by 2030

Michael R. Bloomberg reappointed as WHO Global Ambassador of Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries New Gallup survey indicates strong global support for policies outlined in WHO report to combat growing public health burden of noncommunicable diseases Today, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, launched a new report calling on global leaders to take urgent action on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), responsible for 17 million premature deaths every year. To accelerate action Dr Tedros renewed the two-year appointment of Michael R. Bloomberg as WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. This is Bloomberg’s third reappointment as Ambassador, having first been appointed to the role in 2016. The announcement came at the first annual gathering of a Heads of State and Government Group for the Prevention of NCDs, led by the President of Ghana and the Prime Minister of Norway, held during the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This follows the launch of a Global NCD Compact earlier this year by Ghana and Norway. To mark the occasion, WHO released a new report, “Invisible Numbers: The true scale of noncommunicable diseases,” and a data portal that for the first time, brings together all WHO data related to NCDs for 194 countries. The report and portal highlight the extent of global NCD burden, risk factors, and the progress each country is making in their efforts to combat these diseases and conditions. Every two seconds, someone under 70 somewhere in the world dies of an NCD. Noncommunicable diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and lung disease now outnumber infectious disease as the top killers globally. “This report is a reminder of the true scale of the threat posed by NCDs and their risk factors,” said Dr Tedros. “There are cost-effective and globally applicable NCD interventions that every country, no matter its income level, can and should be using and benefitting from – saving lives and saving money. I thank President Afuko-Addo, Prime Minister Støre and Michael Bloomberg for their leadership and vision in addressing this major global health issue.” Bloomberg’s reappointment comes at a critical juncture for public health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people living with NCDs faced worse outcomes than those without. Today, Gallup released a new survey commissioned by WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies that found most respondents in five surveyed countries – including Colombia, India, Jordan, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America rank an NCD or NCD risk factor as the biggest health problem in their country. The public’s awareness of the links between NCDs and their risk factors such, as tobacco and alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, and lack of physical activity, is low. Yet, the majority of people surveyed across all countries support a wide number of proven interventions and policies that can reduce deaths from NCDs, such as incorporating more green spaces in urban health design and increasing taxes on tobacco. “As we continue to respond to this pandemic and prepare for the next, we have seen the critical importance of addressing a major risk factor in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths – noncommunicable diseases,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. “Noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and cancer are the world’s biggest silent killers – but they can often be prevented with investment in proven, cost-effective interventions. I look forward to continuing to make life-saving investments in NCD and injury prevention alongside Dr Tedros and the WHO.” As WHO Global Ambassador, Bloomberg will continue to support global, national, and local efforts to protect people from NCDs and injuries. This work also advances the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3.4) target to reduce the global number of NCD deaths by one-third through high-impact, population-level policies and programmes implemented in cities across the world. NCDs cause nearly three-quarters of deaths worldwide. Every year, 17 million people under the age of 70 die of NCDs, 86 percent of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the NCD burden by delaying and disrupting care, and in the early months of the pandemic, 75 percent of countries reported disruption to essential NCD services because of lockdown restrictions and channelling of resources. While every Member State of the United Nations has committed to reducing premature death from NCDs by one-third by 2030 – an effort that could save millions of lives – few countries are currently on track to achieve it. Urgent global efforts are needed to get back on track to reach Sustainable Development Goal targets and reduce premature deaths from NCDs. About the World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. By connecting countries, people and partners, we strive to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. About Michael Bloomberg’s work in public health An international leader on public health issues, Bloomberg’s investments in public health include major, life-saving initiatives to reduce tobacco and youth e-cigarette use through over $1 billion in investments, support healthy food policy, reduce drowning, and improve road safety and maternal health, among others. In 2016, he launched the American Health Initiative at Johns Hopkins University to tackle declining life expectancy in the United States, and in 2017, started the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a global network of 70 cities committed to reducing noncommunicable diseases and injuries. Recently, Bloomberg Philanthropies invested an additional $115 million in global public health nonprofit Resolve to Save Lives – bringing its total investment to $215 million – to continue preventing deaths from heart disease. About Bloomberg Philanthropies Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 941 cities and 173 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2021, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.66 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org Media contacts: Jaimie Guerra, Communications Officer
WHO, Mobile: +41 79 475 5536, Email: guerraja@who.int Jean Weinberg, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Email: jean@bloomberg.org

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Press Release

22 July 2022

African leaders launch the Education Plus initiative – a huge step forward for girls’ education and empowerment in Africa

Leaders meeting at the Africa Union summit in Lusaka, Zambia, have pledged their support for the Education Plus initiative at its continental launch, committing to take action to keep adolescent girls in school, which will dramatically reduce their vulnerability to HIV. Every week, around 4200 adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa acquire HIV. In 2020, six in seven adolescents aged between 15—19 years old acquiring HIV in the region were girls. More than 23000 young women died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2020, making it the second leading cause of death among women aged 15—29 after maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Keeping girls in secondary school and providing them with life skills, training and employment opportunities is key to ending the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Research shows that ensuring that girls complete secondary education reduces their risk of acquiring HIV by up to half, and that combining this with a package of services and rights for girls’ empowerment reduces their risk further still. Education Plus calls for free and quality secondary education for all girls and boys in sub-Saharan Africa by 2025; universal access to comprehensive sexuality education; fulfilment of sexual and reproductive health and rights; freedom from gender-based and sexual violence; school-to-work transitions, and economic security and empowerment. “My government has committed to the provision of free primary and secondary education for all,” said President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, who hosted the summit. “Education is the greatest equalizer and with appropriate education, everyone is given an opportunity to explore their full potential and be able to participate in the development process. Access to education empowers both girls and boys as it enhances their ability to access decent jobs and other means of production thus alleviating poverty.” The President of Senegal and current chair of the African Union, Macky Sall, launched the initiative flanked by three other presidents and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat. “It is my pleasure to join you on the occasion of the ceremony to launch the continental “Education Plus Initiative” under the leadership of the Organisation of African First Ladies (OAFLAD) in support to children and young girls in particular,” said President Sall. “There is need for action to promote women’s rights and autonomy, to fight against the discrimination and violence which girls and women face. We must address gender inequality at all stages of life. At the continental level, AU Member States are committed to accelerating the implementation of gender-specific economic, social, and legal measures aimed at combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic by adopting various policy and legal frameworks including the Maputo Protocol.” The launch was held in partnership with the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, convened by the First Lady of Zambia, Mutinta Hichilema. “I am confident that Education Plus will enable us all to protect, provide and preserve the lives of adolescent girls and young women by enhancing education standards and preventing new HIV infections by use of various interventions,” said Ms Hichilema. “We lend our voice to the transformative call for gender-inclusive education in Africa,” said Leyla Gozo, Executive Secretary of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, “First ladies are uniquely positioned to amplify this initiative.” The Education Plus initiative has taken on even greater urgency as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed millions of girls out of school. Even before the pandemic, almost 34 million adolescent girls aged 12—17 years old in the sub-Saharan Africa region were not in secondary school. Evidence also shows that girls are less likely to restart school once they have dropped out. Ten African countries – Benin, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Uganda – have so far committed to the initiative which is jointly convened by five United Nations agencies, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women, and brings together governments, civil society and international partners. “We are making progress in Africa but not fast enough,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima in her address to the launch. “We need to urgently address the gender inequalities that still plague the continent, with devastating impacts on poor girls and young women. We don’t have a minute to wait. Working together, we can all end discriminatory laws and harmful social norms, so that our girls are healthy, educated and empowered and can lead our continent, Africa, forward.” UNAIDS The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

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Press Release

19 July 2022

Actions to Transform Education in Zambia Identified by Education Sector Stakeholders

“We need to take urgent action to change course and realizing this vision of education is not an impossible task. There is hope, especially among the younger generations. However, we will need the entire country’s creativity and intelligence to ensure that inclusion, equity, human rights and cultural diversity tolerance define our future,” Minister Syakalima said. Globally, across low-middle- and high-income countries, 70 per cent of 10-year-olds are now estimated to be unable to read and understand a simple text. This equates to around 471 million primary school-aged children. According to the Examinations Council of Zambia 2016 National Assessment Survey, 70.25 per cent of Grade 5 Zambian learners were found to be ‘Below the Minimum Level of Proficiency in English while 62.31% were found to be ‘Below Minimum Level of Proficiency in Math’. The impact of COVID-19 and its resultant school closures has further exacerbated the pre-existing learning crisis and access to continuous education. Following the re-opening of schools, the 2020-2021 Catch-up Programme (Ministry of Education) Assessment found that 57% of Grade 3 to 5 learners in five provinces were not able to identify words in local languages while 37% of Grade 3 to 5 learners were not able to do addition or subtraction. This presents a tremendous challenge for future learning, as basic literacy and numeracy skills are foundational to and essential for, the success of all other educational objectives. “The Government of the Republic of Zambia has already demonstrated its commitment by eliminating fees for learners, increasing the number of teachers in schools, and keeping vulnerable learners, especially adolescent girls, in school. We believe Zambia is well positioned to take advantage of the Transforming Education Summit – to showcase its progressive reform agenda, and to join the global community to renew its financial commitment to the education sector. The future of Zambia’s children rests in the commitments and actions that we take today,” said UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia, Beatrice Mutali. The National Consultation bring together stakeholders from Government, civil society organisations, religious leaders, teachers, students and international development partners. The findings of the consultation will be integrated into a report which will be submitted by Zambia to the UN Summit for Transforming Education, where Heads of State and Governments will announce their national commitments to transforming education. The Transforming Education Summit, convened by the UN Secretary-General in New York this September, comes after more than two years of the most massive disruption in learning in recorded history, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Summit seeks to mobilize political ambition, action, solutions and solidarity to transform education: to take stock of efforts to recover pandemic-related learning losses; reimagine education systems for the world of today and tomorrow and revitalize national and global efforts to achieve SDG-4. ### For further information, please contact: Alice Mwewa-Saili, Team Leader, UNESCO Email: a.mwewa-saili@unesco.org Cell: +260 77824398 Arifa Sharmin - Chief (OIC) - Communication, Advocacy, Partnerships and Engagement, UNICEF Email: assharmin@unicef.org Cell: +260 771 946153

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