In preparation for Zambia’s participation at the Summit of the Future to be held in New York, 23 to 24 September 2024, the United Nations in Zambia is this week supporting Government-led stakeholder consultations aimed at ensuring a well-informed country position at the global gathering. The Summit of the Future is a high-level event, bringing together world leaders to forge a new international consensus on how to deliver a better present and safeguard the future. It will also address critical issues, including major global shocks that have impacted on the economies of many countries, including Zambia.The consultations, which will be held in Lusaka from 17-18 June and in Ndola on 21 June, will involve over 300 participants drawn from the Government, private sector, civil society organisations, youth, Persons with Disabilities and women. UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia, Ms Beatrice Mutali has underscored the importance of the consultations for the Summit as key in ensuring that Zambia’s position is including in the draft declaration which will be key in the deliberations during the Summit. The Governments of Namibia and Germany are co-facilitators of the Summit.“The Summit of the Future is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments including those to the Sustainable Development Goals. It will also help the world move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact people’s lives,” said Ms Mutali.The Summit will focus on five key priority areas which are called the “Pact for the Summit” namely sustainable development and financing for development; international peace and security; science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation; youth and future generations; and transforming global governance. Zambia and Sweden are co-facilitators for the Digital Global Compact, which is one of the priorities to be considered during the summit. It is our hope that the government will take this opportunity to enhance the country’s digital transformation agenda.###  About the UN in ZambiaThe UN in Zambia is comprised of 24 agencies, funds, and programmes. In addition to the Resident Coordination Office (RCO) and UNDSS, 13 agencies are resident (FAO, ILO, IOM, UNAIDS, UNCDF, UNDP, UNECA, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNESCO, WFP and WHO) and 11 are non-resident agencies (IFAD, ITC, OHCHR, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNEP, UNIDO, UNODC, UNOPS, UNWomen and WMO). UN Zambia also hosts the Africa sub-regional office for UN Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) antenna for Southern Africa. The UN provides support to Zambia through the Zambia-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027. The Cooperation Framework, which is aligned with Zambia’s Eight National Development Plan (8NDP), has four pillars, namely: Prosperity, People, Peace and Planet. For more information, please contact:Mark Maseko, National Information OfficerUnited Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lusaka, P: +260-211-386200 E: masekom@un.org   

LUSAKA, Zambia, 09 May 2024 – The Acting President of the Government of the Republic of Zambia, Her Honour Mrs. W.K Mutale Nalumango, called for renewed policy and financial commitments to save the lives of babies and mothers at the Maternal and Newborn Health Summit organised today in Lusaka by the Ministry of Health with support from key line ministries and cooperating partners. Under the theme “Accelerating the Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Deaths in Zambia through Multi-Sectoral approach” the event presented an opportunity for the Government of the Republic of Zambia and partners to assess progress made in addressing maternal and newborn deaths. Maternal mortality ratio has shown modest reduction every decade since year 2000. The facility maternal mortality ratio (MPDSR) has gone from 137 per 100,000 live births in 2020, to 123 in 2021 and to 118 in 2022. This progress highlights the efforts of the Government and partners in addressing the issue. Nevertheless, maternal mortality ratio remains unacceptably high, especially in some areas across the country. Moreover, neonatal mortality rates have remained stagnant between 2020 and 2022, with a persistent rate of 24 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to UN Inter-agency Group data. Despite improvements in maternal and newborn health, there is still much work to be done to reduce the deaths as challenges persist in meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, Good Health and Wellbeing: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for at all ages, to be attained by 2030.“The Maternal and Newborn Health Summit is a critical initiative in our ongoing efforts to reduce maternal, neonatal, and perinatal deaths in Zambia. Bringing together stakeholders from various sectors will be helpful in developing actionable strategies to overcome challenges faced in accessing quality maternal and newborn health care,” stated Her Honour, Mrs. W.K Mutale Nalumango. In Zambia, a mother dies every 12 hours, a newborn dies every 30 minutes, and a stillbirth occurs every hour. In 2023 alone, 782 mothers and 16,000 newborns died, and 5,000 stillbirths were registered. Against this backdrop, the Maternal and Newborn Summit has drawn engagement and participation from all cooperating and implementing partners to review key indicators, provide recommendations for action, and map the way forward on partners’ support and collaboration."Ending preventable child and maternal deaths will require a coordinated effort between government, civil society, and the private sector to mitigate the three delays - delays in seeking care, delays in reaching care, and delays in receiving care. The United States will continue to work with you to find creative, affordable ways to connect more pregnant people to care during the most critical moments,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, Linnisa Wahid. The Maternal and Newborn Health summit participants discussed challenges contributing to maternal and neonatal deaths, particularly the three delays, namely, delay in seeking care, reaching care, and receiving care. Through collaborative efforts, stakeholders held sessions to discuss and develop strategies to overcome the identified barriers to care, improve access to quality maternal and newborn health care and refine resource mobilization efforts.The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Beatrice Mutali, highlighted the need of concerted efforts to address maternal and newborn deaths. “The United Nations stands in solidarity with Zambia in its pursuit of improving maternal and newborn health outcomes. We believe that today’s deliberations will catalyse the momentum towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. We are committed to supporting the Government of the Republic of Zambia in improving access to healthcare services, particularly among the poor, and underprivileged populations and in underserved areas. We will continue to work with the Government, cooperating partners, civil society, the private sector, and communities themselves h to strengthen healthcare systems, improve the quality of care, and strengthen initiatives to promote healthy behaviours and improve care-seeking for health”.Organized by the Ministry of Health in partnership with cooperating partners, the summit marks a significant step towards operationalizing the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH&N) roadmap and investment case. The summit brought together the experts in the maternal and newborn health with policy makers to brainstorm on key issues and come forward with recommendations to improve health system for delivery of MNH interventions.The World Bank Country Manager, Dr Achim Fock, who spoke on behalf of the Cooperating Partners, emphasized the importance of a multisectoral approach to addressing the challenges in RMNCAH&N.  “Zambia has a unique opportunity with roll out of decentralisation in the health sector whereby the needed multisectoral and multi-disciplinary actions can be most effective at community and local level. Local councils with the health leadership are already utilizing the Constituency Development Funds to build closer maternity clinics and investing in systems for transport for expectant mothers. Scaling this up and using the models that are already effective in some districts can be a game changer,” he said.Some of the recommendations from the summit are to improve the healthcare system in Zambia by enhancing data-driven decision-making and implementing an effective Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System. Additionally, commitments are made to improve health related supply chain and logistics management, integrate quality improvement of RMNCAH&N services, and ensure community responsiveness of these services. Furthermore, to improve sustainability and access to healthcare by enhancing collaboration, linkages, and integration of service provision have been identified as key action. Finally, recommendations have been made to address the human resources gap and raise capacities to ensure a more effective and efficient healthcare system. By implementing these recommendations, Zambia will make significant strides in improving the health and well-being of its mothers and newborns.Ends………………………………………………………………………………………………………Note to editors:For photos of the summit and b-roll, click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16mZw6qONEIKfJOXyKtPxmkxNrRgI24dY?usp=sharing  About RMNCH Roadmap: This road map is a framework has been developed in response to the need for accelerated actions for Zambia to help meet the targets of the National Health Strategic Plan 2022 - 2026, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. It builds on the Zambia Roadmap for Accelerating Reduction of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Mortality in Zambia 2013-2016  About U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID)On behalf of the American people, the U.S. Agency for International Development promotes and demonstrates democratic values abroad, and advances a free, peaceful, and prosperous world. In support of America's foreign policy, USAID leads the U.S. Government's international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance. Learn more at www.usaid.gov About the United Nations in ZambiaThe support of the UN System in Zambia is coordinated under Zambia- United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023–2027, developed in close partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zambia and in consultation with development partners, enables a coherent UN response supporting Zambia to achieve the 2030 Agenda, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the country’s National Vision 2030. Learn more at The United Nations in Zambia | United Nations in Zambia For further inquiries, please contact:Dr Kalangwa Kalangwa, Spokesperson, Ministry of Health Zambia. Email: Kkalangwa@gmail.com Mainza Kawanu, Communication Officer. Email: mkawanu@unicef.org ; Telephone: +260969100157. infozambia@usaid.gov 

The United Nations (UN) has through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) activated an allocation of up to $5.5 million to support Zambia’s response to an unprecedented drought that has left about 7.5 million people in 84 districts in need of assistance, with the majority being women and children. The funding is subject to completion of necessary formalities by UN agencies in Zambia that are delivering as one in supporting the Government-led efforts to provide humanitarian and lifesaving assistance to affected populations.The CERF funds will help in providing emergency food aid, distributing clean and safe water, protection, and delivering healthcare services to address drought-related health risks, among other needs. The support will also help to strengthen resilience in drought-affected communities to mitigate or avoid the humanitarian impacts of the drought and ensure that emergency relief enhances sustainability. The Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia, Penelope Campbell, has welcomed the support from CERF and underscored commitment by the United Nations in helping Zambia respond to the drought emergency.“We stand in solidarity with the people of Zambia at this challenging time and are happy that CERF has initiated this emergency funding which will help alleviate the difficulties being faced because of the El Niño-induced drought. We commend President Hakainde Hichilema for declaring the drought emergency and further announcing an appeal as that enables the UN and other partners to mobilize support,” said Dr. Campbell. The drought has significantly impacted eight (Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Lusaka, Muchinga, North-Western, Southern and Western provinces) of the country’s 10 provinces. The most affected are Western, Southern, Central and Lusaka provinces. The most vulnerable groups directly affected include small-scale farmers that depend on rainfed agriculture, livestock herders, and individuals reliant on natural water bodies and shallow wells.###About CERFCentral Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is one of the fastest and most effective ways to ensure that urgently needed humanitarian assistance reaches people caught up in crises. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 as the United Nations global emergency response fund, CERF enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike. The main 10 donors to CERF are the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Canada, USA, Belgium and Italy. For more information, please contact:Mark Maseko, National Information OfficerUnited Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lusaka, P: +260-211-386200 E: masekom@un.org  

During this fruitful mission, the SRSG was accompanied by Honourable Doreen Mwamba, Minister of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) and the UN Country team in Zambia.Lusaka, 15 April – Throughout her 7-day mission, the SRSG had a first-hand engagement with the leadership of the country and stakeholders on efforts to end all forms of violence against children in Zambia, which is a Pathfinding country to end Violence Against Children since 2016. The SRSG met with the Government and a variety of stakeholders including His Excellency the President, the Vice President, Cabinet Ministers, Provincial and District authorities, Members of the Parliament, House of Chiefs, Cooperating Partners, National Human Rights Commission, Civil Society Organizations, traditional leaders and media. She also undertook various on-site visits of programmes and institutions engaging directly with children, youth and women as well as front line social workers.These interactions helped her explore areas of collaboration with the Government and partners to strengthen and scale up integrated child protection systems that are accessible to all children and their caregivers, leaving no child behind (children in street situations, children on the move, children with disabilities, children in conflict with the law, children living in poor and rural areas among others).“The commitment and mobilization of the Government and all stakeholders I met during my visit, are clear,” stated the SRSG. During her meeting with His Excellency the President, Hakainde Hichilema, he reiterated his pledge to end child marriage and other forms of violence against children by 2030. “Ending Violence Against Children is a priority for the Government of the Republic of Zambia. This country has a young population, so it is imperative to invest in children’s protection and well-being. What is at stake is the human capital of this country which is essential for its socio-economic development,” emphasized Hon. Doreen Mwamba, Minister of Community Development and Social Services. The enactment of the Children’s Code Act, the amendment of the Marriage Act and the repealing of the Juveniles Act as well as various policies and programmes aiming at ensuring social protection, access to child and gender-sensitive education, health and justice, demonstrate this commitment. Despite having progressive laws and policies that protect children from different forms of violence, Zambia is still experiencing challenges to ensure a protective environment. Violence against children remains a major concern and a daily reality for many children in Zambia. According to the Violence Against Children Study (2014). About 41 per cent of girls and 49 per cent of boys report having experienced or witnessed physical violence at household level and about 65 per cent of children indicate they have been bullied in school. Moreover, child marriage continues to have high prevalence with 29 per cent of girls and 2.8 per cent of boys married by age 18. Teenage pregnancy has remained stagnant at 29 per cent. There are also challenges with data availability and accessibility, coordination, and fragmentation of service provision. ”There is a need to accelerate the implementation of the Children’s Code Act to better coordinate the efforts, and to invest more in integrated child protection services which involve many sectors (social welfare, child protection, education, health, home affairs, labour, tourism and justice)  at central, provincial and district levels. Increased budget allocation for core child protection services is critical to address the insufficient numbers of social workers the country has. Prevention of violence makes economic sense as it will have high return on the development of the country.” highlighted the SRSG.The SRSG also stressed the need to listen to and involve more children. “Children, who represent about 53 per cent of the population, cannot be seen as a problem to solve, but as an asset to invest in. And they must be part of the solution to end Violence Against Children. “To conclude, the SRSG stated that less than six years remain to achieve the implementation of the 2030 Agenda – Sustainable Development Goals. “The clock is ticking!  Coordinated and sustainable actions to end Violence Against Children by 2030, are needed more than ever,” she highlighted while reiterating her support to the Government, in close collaboration with the UNCT. Note to editors:For photos of the visit and b-roll, click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11Ax8LbeJJ0waI8PT2qgULJcu58dvAknA?usp=sharingAbout Pathfinding: Pathfinding Countries | UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children For further inquiries, please contact:Mark Maseko, National Information Officer, UN Information Centre (UNIC). +260955767062 l Email: masekom@un.orgMainza Kawanu, Communication Officer, UNICEF. +260969100157. Email: mkawanu@unicef.org