Zambia
The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked country in the southern part of Africa. Zambia is home to abundant river systems and rich copper mines, but over half of the population lives in poverty. Nearly one million Zambians are living with HIV/AIDS.
IntraHealth is working in two Zambian districts—Namwala, and Luangwa—to improve the accessibility and use of HIV counseling and testing services. IntraHealth and its local partners focus on several goals:
- Increasing the number of people who receive HIV counseling and testing (C&T)
- Increasing the number of HIV+ people referred to treatment centers for antiretroviral therapy and prevention of mother-to-child transmission services
- Reducing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
IntraHealth aims to achieve these goals through establishing and expanding C&T services among these districts’ rural populations, establishing mobile and home-based C&T services, and training lay counselors to provide C&T services.
Donor/Projects: CDC (Improving Access and Uptake of Routine Confidential Counseling and Testing Project)
Selected health statistics for Zambia (WHO, accessed July 2008):
Life expectancy, in years (m/f): 42/43
Probability of dying under 5 years of age (per 1000 live births): 182
Adult prevalence of HIV/AIDS: 13.5-20%
Maternal mortality (per 100,000 live births): 729