2026 National Child Health Week Campaign launched
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LifestyleMinister of Health, Professor Roma Chilengi, has called for a shift from annual child health campaigns to the routine delivery of essential healthcare services to ensure that no child is left behind. Professor Chilengi says interventions such as immunisation, vitamin A…
Minister of Health, Professor Roma Chilengi, has called for a shift from annual child health campaigns to the routine delivery of essential healthcare services to ensure that no child is left behind.
Professor Chilengi says interventions such as immunisation, vitamin A supplementation, deworming and nutritional screening should become part of daily healthcare delivery rather than being concentrated during Child Health Week.
Speaking during the launch of the 2026 Child Health Week Campaign, Professor Chilengi said the Ministry of Health was targeting 4.5 million children under the age of five with essential health and nutrition services.
He said the campaign provided an opportunity to reach children who had missed scheduled health interventions, particularly those in rural and remote communities.
Professor Chilengi noted that despite progress in reducing under-five mortality to 42 deaths per 1,000 live births, Zambia still faced challenges in ensuring universal access to essential child health services.
He said the Ministry of Health estimated that one in every five children missed a critical, life-saving vaccine before their first birthday, highlighting the need to strengthen community health systems.
Professor Chilengi said the campaign would provide vitamin A supplementation to children aged six to 59 months, deworming services to those aged 12 to 59 months, and nutritional screening for children aged six to 59 months.
He added that eligible girls aged nine years and above would also receive routine human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to help prevent cervical cancer.
Meanwhile, UNICEF Country Representative, Saja Abdullah, said the organisation would continue working with the Government and other partners to strengthen healthcare delivery through immunisation, breastfeeding promotion, nutrition support and vitamin A supplementation.
Dr Abdullah said the initiative also provided an opportunity to implement the Integrated Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Nutrition Outreach Package, which aims to improve the delivery of essential health services.
And World Vision Zambia has disclosed that it has successfully transported approximately 900,000 vitamin A supplements and nearly four million deworming tablets to all provincial centres across the country ahead of their distribution to health facilities.
World Vision Zambia Strategy, Impact and Learning Director, Ekwase Msoni, said the supplies were intended to improve child health and nutrition, particularly among vulnerable children.
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