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LUSAKA – Minister of Health, Dr. Elijah Muchima, has emphasized the vital role that Community-Based Volunteers (CBVs) play in Zambia’s healthcare system, describing them as the backbone that connects health facilities to the people who need them most.
Dr. Muchima’s remarks were delivered on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Dr. Kennedy Lishimpi, during a media and stakeholder engagement meeting highlighting the role of Polyvalent Community-Based Volunteers (PCBVs).
He stated that CBVs serve as first responders, educators, and advocates, ensuring that even the most vulnerable populations have access to essential health services. He further explained that PCBVs represent a specialized group of CBVs trained across multiple thematic areas to deliver comprehensive, community-centered health services in both rural and urban communities.
“The Integrated Community Health Services Package Training, which spans three weeks, equips PCBVs with the necessary knowledge and skills to empower communities in taking charge of their health,” Dr. Muchima said.
He noted that this training enables PCBVs to provide critical healthcare services, ranging from health promotion to disease prevention, thereby alleviating pressure on Zambia’s already stretched health facilities. However, he stressed the need for greater investment in these volunteers by providing them with the right tools and resources to enhance their efficiency and improve health outcomes across communities.
Meanwhile, UNICEF Representative Dr. Nejmudin Kedir Bilal underscored the importance of strengthening the community health workforce, stating that community-based workers play a pivotal role in delivering cost-effective healthcare, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
“Community health workers, as social agents of change, also need the support of the media to enhance access to life-saving services,” Dr. Bilal noted.
He reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to strengthening community-based healthcare systems in Zambia in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
A Polyvalent CBV is a multi-skilled community health volunteer trained to perform a broad range of tasks, including preventive, promotive, and curative health activities within communities.
Ministry of Health Communications and Public Relations Unit Zambia
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Lusaka — African health ministers and partners are calling for increased investment in integrated health services to address the growing burden of severe noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly those affecting women and underserved populations across the region. At a high-level side event during the Seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, delegates emphasized the urgent need for equitable access to prevention, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation across the continuum of care for NCDs. Disparities are especially pronounced in rural areas, where health infrastructure and services remain inadequate. Breast and cervical cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa—particularly cervical cancer, which is both preventable and treatable. It remains the most common cause of cancer death for women in the region. In 2022, Africa accounted for nearly a quarter (23%) of the 76 000 global cervical cancer deaths. Meanwhile, severe NCDs such as Type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and heart conditions claim more than half a million lives annually, including among children, adolescents, and young adults in some of the continent’s poorest communities. Inequitable access to health services continues to hinder efforts to reduce this burden. To improve cervical and breast cancer care in the region, urgent investment is needed in leadership, governance, and financing. Strengthening these foundations is critical in the current funding landscape. Advancements in strategic planning, healthcare infrastructure, workforce training, and—most importantly—equitable access to screening, diagnostic, and treatment services are essential. To address these challenges, WHO and its partners showcased successful integrated models such as the Women’s Integrated Care for Cancer Services (WICS), the BEAT Breast Cancer Project, and the PEN-Plus Strategy. WICS strengthens early detection, treatment, and integration of women’s cancer services into primary health care systems in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The BEAT Breast Cancer Project is a transformative multi-year initiative aimed at reducing breast cancer mortality among women in Tanzania and Ghana through early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment access. “PEN-Plus, WICS and the BEAT Breast Cancer Initiative are models for a new standard of care, rooted in equity, access and health justice. I urge countries to prioritize policies that embed these models into broader health system strengthening, said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa”. Côte d’Ivoire offers a compelling example of progress, combining high HPV vaccination coverage—reaching over three million girls (91.4%)—with WICS-supported community-based screening campaigns to strengthen cervical cancer prevention. In Kenya, cervical cancer screening has been successfully integrated into national health services. “This gathering marks a pivotal moment to accelerate action for breast cancer prevention in Africa. We deeply value the leadership of the Ministries of Health of Ghana and Tanzania, and the steadfast support of the Pfizer Foundation in helping us achieve this milestone. The side event builds momentum for the policy prioritization of women’s cancers, partnerships to strengthen the broader women’s cancer ecosystem, and advance a health-systems approach to breast cancer prevention and management”, said Dr Somesh Kumar, Senior Director, Jhpiego. PEN-Plus expands access to care for severe NCDs at the district hospital level. Since its implementation, 20 countries in Africa have increased access to services for severe NCDs. Over 15 000 people are currently receiving treatment for chronic conditions such as sickle cell disease and Type 1 diabetes through PEN-Plus clinics.
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