The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), in partnership with the Lusaka Provincial Health Office (LPHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has successfully concluded its semi-annual planning meeting for healthcare providers in Chongwe District.

The meeting, which brought together healthcare workers from various facilities in Chongwe, aimed to assess existing challenges, identify gaps, and develop strategies for enhancing healthcare delivery across the district.

Chongwe District Health Director Dr. Mweene Nseluke commended the commitment of healthcare workers in Chongwe District and encouraged them to use the knowledge gained during the meeting to mentor colleagues who could not attend. He also stressed that continuous learning and mentorship are vital for sustainable improvements in healthcare service delivery.

Dr Nseluke further urged healthcare workers to apply the insights gained from the meeting to bridge service gaps and enhance patient care.
“Accurate data is critical in making informed decisions,” Dr Nseluke emphasised, urging healthcare workers to maintain high standards of record-keeping and leverage data to inform their practices.

Meanwhile, Dr Francis Mwape, Lusaka Province Health Office HIV/TB Programme Lead, praised CIDRZ for successfully organising the semi-annual planning meeting, emphasising its value in strengthening healthcare services. “This platform has enabled us to critically assess our challenges and collaboratively develop practical solutions to enhance healthcare delivery in our facilities,” he stated.

Several participants also shared their experiences and key takeaways from the meeting.

Jairous Banda, Laboratory Coordinator at Chongwe District Hospital, said, “This meeting has reminded me of the importance of comprehensive counselling to ensure accurate client information and improve positive test yields.”

Albert Sipota, a Clinical Officer at Mwalumina Rural Health Post, described the training as insightful. “It has reinforced the importance of accurate documentation and the need to support community-based volunteers,” he noted.

Another participant, Ethel Ngoya, a nurse at Shiyala Health Post, highlighted the value of the screening tool in improving positive test yields which was emphasised in the meeting.

Christabel Chiwala, a nurse at Chilyabale Health Post, said the meeting provided practical strategies for improving Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy (TPT) documentation and effective follow-up on clients.

The semi-annual planning meeting is part of ongoing efforts by CIDRZ, LPHO, and CDC to strengthen healthcare systems and improve service delivery in health facilities.