Overview
This national policy provides a comprehensive framework for Zambia’s health sector, replacing fragmented policies with a single overarching approach. It presents a situation analysis of key health determinants and system performance, and outlines a vision of a healthy and productive nation guided by principles of equity, primary health care, affordability, decentralisation, transparency, quality assurance, and global health engagement. It details objectives and policy measures across maternal, neonatal and child health; communicable and non‑communicable diseases; mental, oral and eye health; and epidemic surveillance. System strengthening priorities cover service delivery structures and referrals, health workforce development and retention, medicines and commodities, laboratory and imaging services, infrastructure and equipment, transport, governance and accountability, health information and research, and financing including a path toward social health insurance and expanded PPPs. An implementation framework sets legal and regulatory actions, institutional roles from national to community levels, and monitoring and evaluation arrangements, including joint reviews and mid‑term and final assessments.