Best known for the spectacular Luangwa Valley, Eastern Province boasts abundant wildlife, the dynamic Luangwa River system, and fertile, productive farmlands. Eastern Province shares a border with Malawi to the east and Mozambique to the south.

USAID ACTIVITIES IN EASTERN PROVINCE

USAID/Zambia implements 20 activities in the Health, Education, Environment, Economic, and Democracy and Governance development sectors. Though lower than the national average, Eastern Province faces an HIV prevalence rate of 7.4 percent. USAID invests a significant portion of its provincial budget toward HIV prevention, treatment, and support services to ensure Zambia is on track to achieve our 95-95-95 framework. Additional focus is placed on preventing new HIV infections through high-impact, evidence-based programs, with additional health funding channeled to gender-based violence prevention, family services, malaria diagnosis and treatment, and TB detection and treatment. 

USAID operates each of its three current reading programs in Eastern Province, including the flagship USAID Let’s Read program, which aims to strengthen curriculum delivery to improve literacy levels in every community and government school in the province. In 2018, the Education Data Activity conducted an Early Grade Reading Assessment which sets a baseline for Let’s Read and will help measure progress made towards national reading benchmarks for Grade 2 learners in their reading skills. Education programming accounts for approximately 11 percent of USAID’s overall provincial budget.

HEALTH

ACHIEVE

USAID ACHIEVE project strengthens the capacity of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) and community structures to deliver comprehensive and standardized case management to vulnerable children and adolescents (VCA). The project improves the ability of the Zambian government to serve the needs of VCA. ACHIEVE works with MCDSS at national, province, district, and community levels to strengthen its systems and improve planning and implementation of key activities. ACHIEVE will develop a functional VCA tracking system and strengthen MCDSS systems and capacity to provide real time data to plan, identify gaps, and budget to meet areas of greatest need. The project will also strengthen MCDSS’s capacity to successfully implement government-to-government initiatives to achieve and maintain HIV epidemic control among pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, children, and youth.

Partners: Pact, Inc.                                  
Duration: Nov. 2020 - Nov. 2025

Electronic Supply Chain Management Information System (eSCMIS)

The Electronic Supply Chain Management Information System (eSCMIS) project works to ensure an uninterrupted supply of health commodities to and within Zambia. Partnering with the Zambian government and the Ministry of Health (MOH), this activity strengthens logistics information systems, bolsters the use of data-driven decision-making, and provides reliable procurement services and technical assistance. The eSCMIS project supports improved accountability, decision-making, fiscal responsibility, and better health outcomes.

Partner: John Snow Health Zambia (JSH-Z) Limited                      
Duration: Jan. 2020 - Jan. 2024

Empowered Child and Adolescents Program III

The Empowered Children and Adolescents Program (ECAP) works to mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and improve the health and well-being of highly vulnerable children and adolescents (VCA) and their families. Targeting the communities hardest hit by HIV/AIDS, the program provides wrap-around, needs-based services to support the resilience of families to be healthy, stable, safe, and educated, working in partnership with health facilities, school, and other community structures. By responding to the unique needs of children and adolescents living with or at high risk of HIV, ECAP is contributing to epidemic control in Zambia.

Partner: CIDRZ                                  
Duration: Sept. 2020 - Sept. 2025

Family Health and Nutrition (FHN)

The USAID FHN activity aims to strengthen the capacity of the Zambian public health system to sustainably deliver reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH&N) services through improved service-delivery capacity, strengthened health management and financial systems, and improved engagement of communities in health.

Partner: Jhpiego                                    
Duration: June 2021 - June 2026

Program for the Advancement of Malaria Outcomes (PAMO) Plus

PAMO Plus reduces malaria morbidity and mortality by increasing access to and uptake of quality malaria control interventions, supporting the implementation of the National Malaria Strategic Plan, and strengthening malaria prevention and case management activities. Through community mobilization and social and behavior change, PAMO Plus works with communities to adopt healthy behaviors in each Eastern Province district.

Prime Partner: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)     
Duration: Sept. 2020 – Sept. 2025

Scaling Up Early Childhood Development in Zambia (SUpErCDZ) 

SUpErCDZ provides Early Childhood Development (ECD) innovations to improve physical and cognitive health outcomes for children, ages 0-6, in Zambia. To achieve this, SUpErCDZ improves access to ECD services by establishing community-based parenting groups to better respond to needs of young children and providing training and mentorship to local healthcare workers, volunteers, and caregivers to improve ECD-related knowledge and behaviors.

Prime Partner: Right to Care Zambia                         
Duration: Jan. 2019 – Jan. 2022

STOP GBV

STOP GBV aims to strengthen and expand opportunities for girls, women, boys, and men to live lives free of gender-based violence (GBV) and enjoy healthy, gender-equitable relationships. The STOP GBV project builds government and traditional leaders’ capacity and commitment to GBV prevention, response, and law enforcement and works with communities to challenge unhealthy gender norms. Additionally, One-Stop GBV response care centers manage GBV-related cases while providing the following: victim-support services by the Zambian Police, paralegal services, HIV testing and linkage to treatment, and child-friendly counseling services. STOP GBV is implemented in Chipata District.

Partner: Zambia Center for Communication Programs              
Duration: Nov. 2018 – Nov. 2023

VectorLink 

VectorLink is part of the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) supporting malaria elimination in nineteen countries. VectorLink focuses on indoor residual spraying (IRS) and the procurement of IRS-related commodities. The activity also provides technical assistance for environmental compliance in support of the Zambia National Malaria Elimination Center’s IRS program. VectorLink works in all Eastern Province districts.

Prime Partner: Abt Associates Inc.                          
Duration: Sept. 2017 – Aug. 2022 

Zambia Accessible Markets for Health (ZAM-Health)

USAID ZAM-Health aims to improve health outcomes for Zambians by increasing the use of high-quality health products and services among priority audiences. The project aims to accomplish this through sustainably expanding the availability and accessibility of high-quality health products and services in the private sector, improving health knowledge, and increasing the adoption of healthy and health-seeking behaviors. Within the framework of a total market approach, the program employs private sector approaches and partnerships with commercial and for-profit entities to achieve these outcomes.

Prime Partner: John Snow, Inc.                            
Duration: June 2021 - June 2026

Zambia Community HIV Prevention Project (Z-CHPP)  

Z-CHPP aims to prevent new HIV infections through community-based behavioral interventions, improved condom accessibility and acceptability, and promotion of high-impact services. In partnership with the Zambian government, Z-CHPP supports the development of community groups that mitigate risky behaviors, increase referrals from community to clinical services, and reduce the vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women to HIV infection. Z-CHPP is implemented in Chipata District. 

Partner: Pact, Inc.                                  
Duration: Nov. 2015 – Nov. 2022

DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE

Accountable Governance for Improved Service Delivery (AGIS) 

AGIS supports the Zambian government to improve efficiencies and transparency of public expenditures in the health and education sectors. AGIS increases sustainable financing by building citizen confidence in government systems, freeing up existing resources to better serve Zambians, and helping the government provide services where they are needed most. In Eastern Province, AGIS is implemented in Chipata, Katete, and Petauke districts.

Prime Partner: Crown Agents USA                          
Duration: Oct. 2017 – Oct. 2022

EDUCATION

Transforming Teacher Education

The Transforming Teacher Education activity makes targeted, foundational investments to institutionalize early-grade reading expertise among faculties at the pre-service level, and devise a practical program of study to prepare teachers for teaching reading at the pre-primary and primary school  levels. 

Partner: Florida State University (FSU)                           
Duration: Sept. 2020 - Sept. 2025

USAID Let’s Read 

USAID Let’s Read works with the Ministry of General Education to improve reading outcomes for over 210,000 children in Eastern Province. The project strengthens delivery of the primary literacy curriculum through improved teaching and learning materials, regular pupil learning assessments, school and learner performance tracking, and engagement with communities and the private sector. The goal of the activity is to ensure students read with age-appropriate comprehension and fluency in one of Zambia’s seven official languages of instruction. Let’s Read is operational in all community and public schools in the province.

Prime Partner: Education Development Center                     
Duration: Jan. 2019 – Jan. 2024

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Emerging Farmers Partnership GDA (EFP)

Zambia has fewer than 1,000 commercial farmers who have access to commercial finance and utilize  irrigation and mechanization. Over the past decade, a new class of “emergent” farmers has become established through the commercialization of some smallholder farmers as well as through investments by salaried and business persons. The emergent farmers operate more as businesses and cultivate over 20 hectares. In turn, emerging farmers serve as lead agro-entrepreneurs who can link organized groups of smallholder farmers to input and output markets and promote the adoption of more productive, climate resilient technologies. The ultimate goal is to commercialize 10,000 emerging farmers to increase the scope and trade of high-value products, building a stronger economy. This activity is implemented in Petauke district. 

Partner: Global Communities                           
Duration: Oct. 2020 - Oct. 2023

Enterprise Development and Growth Enhanced (EDGE)

The Enterprise Development and Growth Enhanced (EDGE) project aims to increase profitability for agricultural small-and-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia by supporting their competitiveness and access to finance. EDGE identifies qualifying SMEs to receive targeted assistance to support marketing, management, and building networks. EDGE also targets innovative financial service providers to develop new products, build capacity to increase agricultural lending, and strengthen their understanding of SMEs.

Partner: ACDI/VOCA                               
Duration: Aug. 2020 - Aug. 2025

Integrated Land and Resource Governance (ILRG) Program 

The ILRG program aims to bolster the ability of local organizations and communities, district and national government, and traditional leaders to document land and resource rights, and use this data to inform improved land-use planning and development decisions. ILRG aims to improve management of natural resources and ensure adequate tenure rights and economic benefits to communities. In Easstern Province, ILRG is active in Chipata, Nyimba, and Petauke districts.

Prime Partner: Tetra Tech ARD                             
Duration: July 2018 – July 2023 

United States Forest Service Participating Agency Partnership Agreement (USFS PAPA)

USFS PAPA supports the Zambian government and USAID implementing partners with technical assistance and capacity building to address climate change, biodiversity, forestry, and natural resource management. USFS provides training in wildland fire management, forest monitoring and management, climate change, and protected area management. USFS also trains District Forest Officers in cartography, data collection, GIS, and remote sensing. This project positions the Zambian government to sustainably manage its own environment and natural resources and builds their commitment and capacity to accelerate greenhouse gas reduction, conserve Zambia’s natural resources, and meet their Nationally Determined Contributions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Partner: Zambia Environmental Management Agency and Forestry Department
Duration: Jan. 2010 - June 2022

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