Zambia : Health Sector Progress Update -

Read Time:1 Minute, 27 Second

Over the past four years, the Ministry of Health has recorded significant progress across multiple areas of the health sector. One of the most notable achievements has been the steady increase in Government funding to health. Budgetary allocation has risen from approximately 7% of the national budget in 2021 to just slightly under 12% today. This increase has had a direct and positive impact on service delivery across the country.

As a result of increased investment, the availability of essential medicines has improved considerably. From about 35% in 2021, availability now ranges between 85 and 90% across health facilities nationwide, ensuring that patients can access the medicines they need when they need them.

In the area of medical imaging and radiography, the Ministry has undertaken a deliberate transition from outdated analogue systems to modern digital technology. In 2025 alone, 79 digital X-ray machines and 107 ultrasound machines have been installed across the country. Additionally, 20 CT scanners have been deployed this year, significantly strengthening diagnostic capacity nationwide.

Government has also procured a PET-CT scanner and a cyclotron, an advanced system used to produce radionuclides for imaging. This highly sophisticated technology allows for precise detection of diseased tissues and will now be available within the country, eliminating the need for patients to seek such services abroad.

Further strengthening diagnostic and surgical services, the Ministry has rolled out 86 portable digital X-ray units countrywide, along with 10 C-arm machines for use in operating theatres, enabling real-time imaging during surgical procedures. In addition, 10 mammography machines have been procured, ensuring that each province will have at least one mammogram unit for breast cancer screening.

Georgia Mutale Chimombo

Principle Public Relations Officer/ Spokesperson

Ministry of Health Zambia