More than 60,000 Social Cash Transfer (SCT) beneficiaries have been successfully enrolled under the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA), granting vulnerable households access to essential healthcare services.
This milestone, made possible with support from the Global Fund, marks a major step toward achieving Universal Health Coverage and enhancing resilience by ensuring that the elderly, persons with disabilities, and individuals with chronic illnesses benefit from subsidized health insurance premiums. This effectively removes financial barriers to healthcare access.
A total of 60,704 beneficiaries, of whom 40,500 are female-headed households, are at the centre of the Government’s efforts to explore financing options to expand social insurance coverage to all SCT beneficiaries.
Speaking at a side event during the recently concluded World Summit for Social Development held in Doha, Qatar, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services , Ms. Angela Kawandami, shared Zambia’s success story on integrating social assistance with social insurance.
The event, themed “Universal Social Protection for Better Health, Improved Resilience, and Poverty Reduction,” was convened by the International Labour Organization, and the World Health Organization, in collaboration with the European Commission and the Government of Qatar.
Delivering the presentation on her behalf, Mr. Maximillian Bwalya, SCT Assistant Coordinator, highlighted Zambia’s innovative cross-government collaboration aimed at strengthening the national social protection system.
Ms. Kawandami emphasized the partnership between MCDSS and NHIMA as a model of effective integration between social assistance and social insurance mechanisms. She described it as a key achievement under the Government’s “Cash Plus” policy, an approach that goes beyond direct income support by linking cash transfers with complementary services that address multiple dimensions of poverty.
“The integration of social assistance with health insurance is a demonstration of Zambia’s commitment to building an inclusive social protection system that leaves no one behind,” said Ms. Kawandami.
She further noted that the initiative enhances equity and efficiency through joint targeting and data sharing, while strengthening coordination across government agencies. Zambia’s whole-of-government approach to social protection is aligning social and health policies to deliver comprehensive support to citizens.
Ms. Kawandami concluded by emphasizing that Zambia’s progress lays a strong foundation for sustainable and inclusive health financing, with the long-term goal of extending coverage to a broader segment of vulnerable populations.
