Dr. Christopher Simoonga
Director - Directorate of Policy and Planning
Ministry of Health, Zambia
International Launch of the Zambian
National Health Strategic Plan
7th February 2012, BMA - London
Theme

“Towards attainment of health related
Millennium Development Goals and
Other National Health Priorities in a
clean,
caring
and
competent
environment ”
MISSION, VISION, OVERALL GOAL & KEY PRINCIPLES
Mission
Statement:
To provide equitable access to cost effective,
quality health services as close to the family as
possible
Vision:
A Nation of Healthy and Productive People
Overall Goal: To improve the health status of people in
Zambia in order to contribute to socioeconomic development
Key
Principles:
Primary Health Care (PHC) approach; Equity
of access; Affordability; Cost-effectiveness;
Accountability; Partnerships; Decentralisation
and Leadership, Clean, Caring and Competent
Conceptual Framework of Health Systems Used– the
Six Building Blocks Approach
Infant Mortality Rate, 1992 to 2007
120
107
80
60
95
70
36 per 1,000
live births
40
20
0
?
0
ZDHS 1992ZDHS 1996ZDHS 2001ZDHS 2007ZDHS 2012
MDG Target
(2015)
Deaths per 1,000 live births
100
109
Under five mortality rate 1992 to 2007
250
191
197
168
150
119
100
63 per 1,000
live births
50
?
0
0
ZDHS
1992
ZDHS
1996
ZDHS
2001
ZDHS
2007
ZDHS
2012
MDG Target
(2015)
Deaths per 1,000 live births
200
Maternal mortality ratio 1996 to 2007
800
600
649
591
500
400
300
162 per
100,000 live
births
200
100
0
?
MDG Target
(2015)
Deaths per 100,000 births
700
729
0
ZDHS 1996 ZDHS 2001 ZDHS 2007 ZDHS 2012
SERVICE DELIVERY
Two Thematic Areas
1. District Health Services
2. Hospital Referral Services
Focus on three Cs of Quality of Care:
1. Clean
2. Caring
3. Competent
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
directions cont.
Focus: Zero Stock outs
Strategies:
•
•
•
Monitor availability at all times
Streamline the procurement process
Strengthen logistics of distribution
HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH
cont.
Focus: Recruitment and Retention
Strategies:



Scale up recruitment and retention
Strengthen human resource management
Increase training and staff development
MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Focus: maintenance, rehabilitative and
expansion
Strategies:
•
•
•
Invest in repair and reconstruction
Increase number of health posts
Build limited number of first referral level
hospitals
HEALTH INFORMATION AND
RESEARCHs cont
Focus: Use of research evidence for policy
–making
Strategies:
•
•
•
•
Develop and apply a communication strategy
Strengthen policy dialogues
Increase scope and access to the Health
Management Information System (HMIS)
Establish a Research Authority
HEALTH CARE FINANCING
Focus: improving financing access to
health services
Strategies



Abolish fees for primary health care services
Create a health assurance fund (HAF)
Encourage individual use of health insurance
services
LEADERSHIP AND
GOVERNANCE
Focus:
Implement an efficient and effective
decentralised system of governance, ensuring
high
standards
of
transparency
and
accountability at all the levels of the health
sector
Leadership and Governance
Strategic
Strategies
directions
cont.
 Strengthening
the overall legal and policy framework for



health
Strengthen sector collaboration mechanisms: Review and
update the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
sector partners and civil society; incorporate IHP+ principles
into the MOU; and further strengthen the Joint Annual
Reviews (JAR).
Strengthening leadership, management and governance
systems and structures, to enhance transparency and
accountability at all levels, in accordance with the jointly
agreed governance action plan and the recently conducted
systems audits.
Strengthen access to information at all levels, especially the
community level.
The End