Honorifics

The Minister of Health, Dr Chitalu Chilufya
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of  National Development Planning (MNDP), Mr. Chola Chabala
Director Central Statistical Office (CSO) Mr John Sinyenga
Distinguished representatives from the Government of the Republic of Zambia
Representatives from the Department for International Development (DFID)
Representatives from the Global Fund, the UN, and other Cooperating Partners
Friends from civil society and the private sector
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen

It is with great excitement that we gather today for the official launch of the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS).  As the preeminent source of comprehensive health data in Zambia, the ZDHS provides critical information to the Government of the Republic of Zambia for national planning and budgeting purposes, and is an important tool for the nation as it moves forward in its path to self-reliance.  

The ZDHS also serves as a vital source of data used by USAID, international and national stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, and other partners to guide our programming and help to measure the impact of our collective investments in Zambia’s health sector.

At USAID, we believe strongly in the collection and use of high-quality data for policy formation, program planning, and monitoring and evaluation.  In 1984, USAID developed its DHS Global Program to help countries collect and disseminate accurate, nationally representative data on fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, gender, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and nutrition.  

Since its inception, the USAID DHS Program has provided technical assistance to more than 400 surveys in over 90 countries, and helped advance global understanding of health and population trends in developing nations. 

USAID has been a supporter of six surveys in Zambia since 1992, the year of the first DHS.  Through our implementing partner, ICF Macro, we aim to foster and reinforce host-country ownership of data collection, analysis, and use.  

Through USAID, the United States government works with countries to select the most appropriate data collection methods and build the capacity of host-country partners to collect and use that data for program and policy purposes.  

USAID has invested over $3.5 million in the collection data available in Zambia’s 2018 DHS.  I would like to acknowledge the additional substantial financial and technical contributions from DfID, the Global Fund, the United Nations through UNFPA, and the technical leadership from the Zambian government and other partners in this collaborative effort.

As most of us in this room are aware, planning for and carrying out the ZDHS is a monumental task.  The breadth of the survey, combined with a short timeline and budgeting and resource constraints, require a high level of teamwork and coordination across the Central Statistics Office, the Ministry of Health, the University Teaching Hospital, the University of Zambia, and cooperating partners.  Please join me in congratulating those professionals involved in this joint accomplishment. 

We look forward to the dissemination of the final ZDHS report and our continued collaboration to improve the health of all Zambians.  We are honored to be a part of this important achievement. Thank you.