Zambia authorities and U.S. CDC Partner in NPHI Strategic Planning Workshop
A buzz of voices filled the room as stakeholders in Zambia's recently launched National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) excitedly discussed the next steps of developing the institute. In this strategic planning workshop, hosted by the Zambian Ministry of Health in February, staff from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. CDC Zambia, and IANPHI facilitated a discussion among national stakeholders to identify the priorities and key short- and long-term roles of Zambia's inaugural NPHI. As the workshop came to a close, next steps were delegated among the group, and the strategic implementation roadmap was complete.
As established in the roadmap, ZNPHI will act as a coordinated national center for public health activity in Zambia, in support of the Ministry of Health’s strategic national objectives. The NPHI will focus on identifying and filling data gaps in policy and programs, through surveillance, research, and other NPHI-led or coordinated activities. Subsequently, the NPHI will work to ensure that the data collected will be effectively translated to the improvement of public health programs and policies.
Dr. Elizabeth Chizema will serve as the lead for NPHI creation. Under her direction, such issues as space and the potential for the NPHI to include a robust public health laboratory will be explored.
Drawing from experience with many NPHI country projects, the U.S. CDC and IANPHI will continue their ongoing partnership with Zambia's NPHI, providing technical assistance and funding through the Public Health Epidemiology Partnership Initiative (PHEPI) to facilitate the development of Zambia's NPHI into a self-reliant national public health institute.
Next steps for the partnership include an IANPHI and U.S. CDC supported study tour to Mozambique's Instituto de Saude, which will allow Zambia NPHI's leadership the opportunity to experience firsthand the structure and functions of an effective NPHI.