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Zambia is in the process of developing a Health Financing Reform Framework to improve efficiency, accountability and innovation in the management of health resources, Ministry of Health officials have announced.
Permanent Secretary for Technical Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Kennedy Lishimpi said the Government was currently strengthening the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIMA) by broadening its contribution base.
Lishimpi said this during the official opening of the 62nd Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting held at Avani Victoria Falls Resort in Livingstone on Saturday.
He said the government was also improving reimbursement systems for NHIMA, enhancing collaboration with private healthcare providers and increasing efficiency in resource utilisation.
“The national health budget allocation had increased from 8.1 percent in 2021 to 10.3 percent in 2026, reflecting Government’s steady progress towards achieving the Abuja Declaration target of allocating 15 percent of the national budget to health,” Lishimpi said.
He said the government would continue leveraging the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to construct health facilities, maternity annexes, staff accommodation, ambulances and water and sanitation infrastructure aimed at improving access to quality healthcare at community level.
Lishimpi assured delegates that the government had taken note of the concerns raised by the medical fraternity and was implementing comprehensive reforms to address them.
He said the government remained committed to safeguarding Zambia’s health gains by building a resilient, efficient and sustainably financed health system aligned with the country’s Universal Health Coverage agenda.
“Government had recruited 23,560 healthcare workers over the past five years, including 4,216 in 2024 and 3,205 earlier this year, while an additional 2,600 health workers are expected to be recruited before the end of 2026,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary acknowledged that many qualified healthcare professionals remained unemployed despite existing staffing shortages and announced that the Ministry of Health was finalising the National Human Resources for Health Strategic Plan (2027–2031) to strengthen recruitment, career progression, merit-based promotions, consultant establishment and staff retention.
He added that administrative processes relating to study leave, promotions and acting appointments would be streamlined through the digitalisation of human resource management systems.
Addressing governance concerns, Lishimpi said the Ministry, working with Cabinet Office, was expediting the appointment of substantive Boards and senior executives in health institutions and regulatory agencies.
“A Health Sector Governance Charter would be launched later this year to strengthen leadership, institutional performance, transparency and stakeholder engagement across the health sector,” he said.
Lishimpi reaffirmed Government’s commitment to maintaining a strong partnership with the Zambia Medical Association, describing the Association as a strategic partner in policy formulation, research, innovation and improving healthcare delivery.
ZMA President, Dr. Masiku Phiri, called for increased domestic investment in healthcare, as the era in which donor financing could reliably fill gaps within the country’s health system was gradually drawing to a close.
Phiri noted that Zambia had reached a defining moment where sustainable healthcare financing must become a national priority as external donor support continues to decline.
He observed that Zambia had made significant progress in combating HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, reducing maternal and child mortality, and expanding immunisation coverage.
Phiri, however, cautioned that changing global economic conditions, geopolitical shifts and declining donor funding were placing increasing pressure on health systems across developing countries.
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“Zambia must therefore strengthen domestic resource mobilisation, improve efficiency in health expenditure and build a resilient health system capable of sustaining itself irrespective of global developments,” he said.
Despite the progress, he highlighted persistent challenges, including shortages of healthcare workers, delayed career progression, prolonged acting appointments, limited consultant positions and governance gaps within key health institutions.
“There is need for accelerated recruitment of qualified health professionals, timely promotions, strengthened NHIMA, increased domestic investment in healthcare and the appointment of substantive Boards and executive leadership in health institutions to improve accountability and service delivery,” Phiri said.
The three-day conference is being held under the theme, “Safeguarding Zambia’s Health Gains in a Resurging Economy: Leveraging Domestic Resources for Sustainable Health Financing.”
The conference has brought together medical practitioners, policymakers, researchers, cooperating partners and other stakeholders to deliberate on the future of healthcare financing and health systems strengthening in Zambia.
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