With abundant natural and vast water resources, wetlands and waterfalls, Zambia’s Luapula Province boasts some of the most unique wildlife and fish species of all the provinces. Home to the rare Shoebill Stork, Luapula Province also features Lumangwe Waterfalls in Kawambwa district (the second largest waterfall in Zambia), Lake Mweru bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Lupaula River with the 2.5km long bridge in Zambia, Lusenga Plain National Park, and Lake Bangweulu and its wetlands.
USAID ACTIVITIES IN LUAPULA PROVINCE
USAID/Zambia implements 10 activities in the Health and Economic Development sectors in Luapula Province. Through these activities, USAID will directly invest approximately $14.4 million in 2021 in Luapula Province. The largest activities in the province, in terms of annual funding, are Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA) and VectorLink.
Luapula Province has an HIV prevalence rate of 7.9 percent, which is lower than the national average of 11 percent. A large portion of USAID’s overall provincial investment focuses on preventing the spread of HIV and providing treatment and support services to persons living with HIV to ensure that 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. Further investments are also placed on reducing stunting which stands at 40 percent.
Due to high malaria prevalence (600 to 700/1000 per year) in the province, Luapula is a focal area for malaria elimination under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, which delivers cost-effective, life-saving malaria interventions—such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and essential medicines—alongside catalytic technical and operational assistance. Additional health funding is channeled to gender-based violence prevention, family services, and TB detection and treatment.
Given the wide scope of our health programming and the high level of engagement with the Zambian government in the province, USAID/Zambia operates a Provincial Health Office in Mansa, the provincial capital, to coordinate government-to-government funding and provincial programming. The Health Office also coordinates USAID-funded implementing partners in collaboration with the Ministry Of Health Provincial office.
HEALTH
Action HIV
USAID Action HIV aims to reduce HIV mortality, morbidity, and transmission by achieving the UNAIDS and PEPFAR goal of 95-95-95 HIV treatment coverage and providing comprehensive HIV prevention and care and treatment maintenance services in 119 sites in Luapula province. Additionally, USAID Action HIV provides technical assistance to strengthen public financial management systems for the Provincial Health Office (PHO) where USAID implements government-to-government agreements. In order to achieve these objectives, USAID Action HIV strengthens systems and provides direct service delivery at the province, district, facility, and community levels.
Prime Partner: Right to Care Zambia
Duration: June 2021 - June 2026
Community Radio Program (CRP)
The CRP activity aims to improve the health of women and children by addressing family planning, nutrition, gender-based violence, and HIV, through radio programming. Each 156-minute episode is broadcast in a local Zambian language and is carefully designed to integrate cultural relevance and Luapula Province’s context and characteristics. The goal of CRP is to present relatable storylines that resonate emotionally with a Zambian audience and inspire long-term positive behavior change. The activity works across each of the Province’s districts.
Prime Partner: Population Media Center
Duration: Feb. 2018 – Dec. 2022
District Coverage of Health Services (DISCOVER-Health)
DISCOVER-Health supports HIV prevention and treatment, family planning, and maternal and child health programs. The project scales up Test and Start HIV treatment, facilitates access to, and uptake of family planning and HIV prevention services, and ensures a strong continuum of care between clinics and communities. DISCOVER-Health operates in eight sites in Mansa and Samfya Districts. The DISCOVER-Health-supported sites are being transitioned to either USAID Action HIV or G2G for continued service provision.
Partner: John Snow, Inc.
Duration: Dec. 2015 – March 2023
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, 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
Eradicate Tuberculosis (ETB)
ETB works in partnership with the Zambian government, the National TB Control Program, the private sector, and other partners to strengthen the response in each of Lupaula’s districts. ETB focuses on finding new TB cases, laboratory strengthening, management of drug-resistant TB, and operational research. The project targets high TB-burden communities.
Prime Partner: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
Duration: May 2017 – May 2022
USAID Evidence for Health
The Evidence for Health mechanism helps Zambia's Ministry of Health (MOH) improve the use of data for decision-making and expand the information base to strengthen and inform program development and performance improvement. Quality data for decision making is critical for effectiveness and accountability of taxpayer resources. This enables USAID and the MOH to focus on priority development concerns within their manageable interests and scope while contributing to USAID's goals of preventing child and maternal deaths, controlling the HIV epidemic, and combating infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
Partner: Management Systems International
Duration: March 2020 - March 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 of Luapula’s districts.
Prime Partner: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
Duration: Sept. 2020 – Sept. 2025
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. VectorLink also provides technical assistance for environmental compliance in support of the Zambia National Malaria Elimination Center’s IRS program. In Luapula province, VectorLink is directly active in Chiengi, Kawambwa, and Nchelenge districts and provides technical assistance in the remaining districts.
Prime Partner: Abt Associates, Inc.
Duration: Sept. 2017 – Aug. 2022
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA)
SUN TA is an integrated nutrition program. The aim of SUN TA in Luapula Province is to reduce stunting in three selected districts: Mansa, Nchelenge, and Samfya. SUN TA builds strength-based and need-based technical capacity for the National Food and Nutrition Commission and line ministries, primarily at the district level and below. It works hand-in-hand with Zambian government officials on joint work planning, prioritization, budgeting, activity implementation, progress reporting, and monitoring.
Prime Partner: DAI
Duration: Feb. 2019 – Feb. 2026