World Health Organization (WHO) Launches National Survey to Strengthen Access to Mental Health Medicines in Zambia
The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with its headquarters and the Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), is initiating a national survey in Zambia aimed at evaluating the performance of the health system. This survey will specifically focus on the availability and affordability of essential medicines for neurological and mental health conditions. The initiative is a significant step toward generating critical evidence necessary for enhancing mental health and neurological care services throughout the country.
Dr. Fahmy Hanna from the WHO Headquarters’ Mental Health Department visited Zambia from May 11 to May 15, 2026, to assist in the preparations for this important survey.
Building the Foundation for a National Survey
Despite the inclusion of essential neurological and mental health medicines on Zambia’s National Essential Medicines List, access to these vital resources remains inadequate. Treatment gaps for chronic neurological and mental health conditions are particularly pronounced in rural and underserved areas. This survey aims to address the existing evidence gap regarding access and affordability of neurological medicines in Zambia. It will yield nationally relevant, internationally comparable data that can inform policy reforms, enhance equity, and bolster pharmaceutical and service delivery systems.
The survey’s objectives include a comprehensive assessment of how effectively the health system is providing services to individuals living with mental health and neurological conditions. Key areas of investigation will encompass access to medicines, service delivery capacity, and financial barriers impacting patients.
The findings from this survey are anticipated to influence national policies, guide resource allocation, and support Zambia’s broader efforts to improve service delivery while ensuring equitable access to care. Specifically, the survey aims to:
- Assess the availability of selected essential medicines for neurological and mental health conditions across public, private, and other health service providers in urban, peri-urban, and rural settings.
- Examine health system, regulatory, financing, workforce, and supply chain factors that influence access to neurological and mental health medicines in Zambia, engaging service user associations and representatives of caregivers and individuals with lived experiences of mental health and neurological conditions.
The survey will be conducted in urban areas such as Lusaka and Copperbelt, peri-urban regions including Eastern and Southern, and rural areas in Western and Muchinga provinces.
At the national level, the initiative will involve collaboration with institutions responsible for policy formulation, regulation, procurement, financing, and oversight of medicines. A nationwide roadmap will be developed to establish priority actions for scaling access at the facility level, targeting selected public, private, and faith-based health facilities across six carefully chosen provinces.
Field Visits Highlight Realities on the Ground
During Dr. Hanna’s mission, the team visited key health facilities in Lusaka, including the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital, and Chainama Hills College Hospital. They also engaged with the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency and the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority. A stakeholder engagement workshop convened over 25 actors and service user representatives to gather feedback and raise awareness about the upcoming survey.
These visits facilitated discussions with frontline health workers, pharmacists, and facility managers to gain insights into the availability of essential medicines for mental health and neurological conditions, as well as the operational challenges faced in service delivery.
The engagements yielded valuable insights into:
- Availability and stock levels of critical medicines
- Challenges in procurement and supply chains
- Human resource and service delivery gaps
- Opportunities to strengthen integrated care
These interactions are crucial for ensuring that the forthcoming survey accurately reflects the real challenges and opportunities at the system level.
Advancing Mental Health within Universal Health Coverage
Mental health and neurological conditions are increasingly recognized as essential components of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, access to necessary services and medicines continues to pose challenges in many regions.
The planned survey will generate essential evidence to assist Zambia in addressing these gaps by:
- Informing policies to enhance the availability and affordability of medicines
- Strengthening health system performance
- Improving service delivery for mental health and neurological care
- Supporting equitable access to quality care for all
Strengthening Partnership for Impact
The collaborative efforts of WHO headquarters, AFRO, WHO Zambia, and the Ministry of Health underscore the importance of partnership in addressing complex health system challenges. By aligning global expertise with national priorities and local realities, this initiative is expected to foster more responsive, evidence-driven interventions that improve outcomes for individuals living with mental health and neurological conditions in Zambia.
The activity highlights WHO’s ongoing commitment to supporting Zambia in advancing Universal Health Coverage and ensuring that no one is left behind in accessing essential health services.
Source: www.zawya.com
Read all the latest developments and breaking updates in the Latest News section.
Published on 2026-05-23 14:45:00 • By the Editorial Desk
