Government has today launched the 2025 National Social Protection Policy aimed at improving human life through a “lifecycle approach” that ensures that individuals receive support tailored to their specific needs at various points in their lives.
Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms Doreen Mwamba who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ms Angela Kawandami, said that government recognizes the role social protection plays in moderating income inequalities, promoting household food and nutrition security and improving access to basic services such as health care and education.
The Minister implored government ministries and agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, and the private sector to make this vision a reality emphasizing that the success of the policy will depend on the ability to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate social protection interventions effectively.
“Social protection is not a luxury, but a necessity and serves as a safety net for the vulnerable, an opportunity for the marginalized, and a catalyst for empowering individuals across all walks of life”, Ms Mwamba said.
She said the lifecycle approach the policy focuses on will ensure that every stage of life from birth through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, to old age receives appropriate attention and support as it recognizes that individuals experience different risks and challenges at various points in their lives.
Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) representative Ms Nicola Oldham, appreciated Zambia’s commitment to addressing vulnerability through very progressive social protection initiative and programmes such as the Food Security Pack (FSP), Social Cash Transfer, among others.
And UNICEF country Representative, Ms Penelope Campbell acknowledged that social protection is a cornerstone of a socioeconomic development and therefore congratulated the Zambian government for the milestone launch of the policy which she described as an ideal tool to end the intergenerational transfer of poverty.
