Zambia Reports Strong Progress in Family Planning and Maternal Health at UN
Zambia has reiterated its strong commitment to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action, highlighting the importance of multilateral cooperation in advancing population and development goals at the 59th Session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) at the United Nations Headquarters.
The session, convened under the United Nations (UN) framework, is being held from 13 to 17 April 2026 under the theme “Population, technology and research in the context of sustainable development”, bringing together member states to review progress on population dynamics and development strategies.
Delivering Zambia’s National Statement, Chargé d’Affaires at the Permanent Mission of Zambia to the UN, Ms Stenah Shampile, emphasised that technology, research and data remain critical tools for advancing human dignity and sustainable development.
She noted that Zambia’s engagement in global platforms strengthens cooperation, fosters strategic partnerships and promotes evidence-based solutions.
Ms Shampile highlighted significant progress in sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including a rise in the proportion of demand for family planning satisfied by modern methods from 19.6 per cent in 1992 to 73.9 per cent in 2024.
She also reported improvements in maternal health indicators, with skilled birth attendance increasing to 94 per cent and facility-based deliveries reaching 93 per cent, reflecting what she described as sustained government investment in universal health coverage.
She further outlined Zambia’s adoption of geo-referenced and gender-responsive Carrying Capacity Assessments, which map social services across all 116 districts. The tool integrates population data with gender analysis to improve planning, financing and service delivery, and is positioned as a key innovation in evidence-based development planning.
Despite these gains, Ms Shampile acknowledged persistent challenges, including an adolescent childbearing rate of 28 per cent and maternal mortality accounting for 10 per cent of deaths among women of reproductive age.
She reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to strengthening voluntary family planning services and adolescent-responsive health programmes to accelerate progress towards universal access to sexual and reproductive health services.
On digital transformation, she noted government efforts to integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) across all levels of education under the Ministry of Education’s 2022–2026 Strategic Plan.
She said expanded digital platforms and e-learning tools are increasingly reaching rural and underserved communities, improving digital literacy and access to reproductive health information among young people.
Ms Shampile concluded that participation in global forums such as the CPD enables Zambia to showcase progress, learn from international best practices and mobilise support to bridge the digital divide.
She reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to South-South cooperation in research and innovation to ensure inclusive development outcomes, particularly for women, girls and young people.
Ms Shampile was accompanied by Ms Pamela Kauseni, Director of the Population Department at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, alongside other senior government officials.
