Zambian Government Set to Boost Public Services and Social Protection
In order to build on the administration’s early progress, the 2023 budget includes a swathe of fresh funding for public services, such as health and education, as well as social protection schemes for the most vulnerable members of Zambian society.
Last month, Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, pledged to establish maternity wards at health facilities across the country. In particular, he praised the establishment of a ward at Luangwa, a district where previously mothers would have to travel 25 kilometres to the nearest maternity ward. The pledge comes as part of the New Dawn government’s desire to rectify the disparities found between well-funded urban constituencies and historically marginalised rural areas.
Nalumango did, however, emphasise that public-private partnerships would be crucial to the improvement of Zambia’s health provision. Speaking in Luangwa, he praised the Walkington family and the Luangwa Child Agency for their donations to the new maternity ward he was visiting. By combining the public and the private sectors the New Dawn government cements the importance of private entities in the provision of healthcare ensuring effective and efficient care throughout the region.
In continuance of this goal, the recent budget has allocated K1.1 billion to finance the construction and completion of 36 district hospitals, 16 mini hospitals, and 83 health posts, in order to reduce the long distances travelled to access health professionals. In addition to allocating K4.6 billion for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies, the government has also committed to the recruitment of a further 2,000 healthcare workers, having already recruited 11,000 health workers.
This is not the only major recruitment drive pledged in the 2023 budget. A commitment has also been made to the recruitment of 4,500 further teachers, on top of the 30,000 already hired. Whilst infrastructurally the government has proposed the construction of 120 new high schools and 56 early childhood learning centres with the financial investment of the World Bank. Further, they seek to complete the 115 secondary schools that were abandoned midstream since 2010.
The combination of state education and health services represents an important partnership in Zambia’s investment in the future. In conjunction with the NGO Healthy Learners, the government has re-stated its pledge to roll out the School Health Nutrition Policy (SHNP). As part of its commitment to “educating our future”, the nutrition programme is based on research that strongly correlates early nutritional outcomes with healthy brain development, adult health outcomes and higher economic output.
With Zambia’s young population – over half the population are under the age of 18 – such investment in health and education is an investment in the nation’s future growth. Upskilling the population is a crucial goal the government is fostering through public-private partnerships such as those with Huawei to train 5,000 students and with the EU and UN to invest $6.5 million USD.
The budget allocates K133.5 million to support the Keeping Girls in School Programme. The programme is thus far credited with keeping 5,000 girls in school and comes as part of the president’s desire to modernise the role of women in society. According to the charity Action Aid, nine million girls of primary school age will never start school or set foot in a classroom across the globe. This compares to just three million boys. According to the Gender Division Permanent Secretary, Mainga Kabika; “Hichilema is focused on eradicating child marriages by the year 2030… Children who were being married off early can now go back to school.”
In order to protect the most vulnerable in Zambian society, and to achieve the goal of becoming a middle-income country, the budget includes significant social protection measures. Social Cash Transfer and Food Security Pack Programmes are to increase both the number of recipients and the transfer value. The Social Cash Transfer Programme is set to be increased by 19.8%. The Food Security Pack’s allocation has been increased by K.1.2 billion. This food security programme is designed to support the vulnerable but viable farmers that represent a crucial pillar of the Zambian economy.
50% of Zambia’s land is arable but at present only 20% is farmed. As Zambia’s young population grows up, properly, but responsibly, realising the potential of this land will be vital not just to food security but also to economic growth. As part of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Zambian acts as the breadbasket of southern Africa. As such, Zambia’s neighbours across its land borders represent an estimated market of 320 million people.
Image via Twitter @HHichilema