The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), successfully hosted a dynamic semi-annual planning meeting for Lusaka District.

The event, which brought together health experts, programme managers, and key stakeholders, fostered collaboration and strategic planning under one roof.

Speaking at the meeting, CIDRZ’s Director of Clinical Care Services, Dr Mwanza Wa Mwanza, outlined the primary objectives, including a review of performance for the first two quarters of the year, emphasising that the gathering aimed to assess progress on key health indicators, identify areas requiring improvement, and develop actionable strategies to support underperforming facilities.

Dr Wa Mwanza explained that the meeting served as a platform for implementing partners to present their priorities for the upcoming quarters, ensuring a coordinated approach to bridge service delivery gaps and enhance healthcare support.

Representing Lusaka Province Health Director Dr Simulyamana Aspha Choongo, Clinical Care Specialist Dr Sophia Msiska highlighted the critical role of stakeholder collaboration in achieving sustainable healthcare outcomes.

She commended CIDRZ and partners for their support in improving healthcare, while highlighting the district’s progress in the past two quarters.

“We have made remarkable strides, particularly in women with children under 19 years, who have been fully indexed,” Dr Msiska reported adding that, “all sites are adhering to Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) guidelines, ensuring that mothers and infants receive care in line with national standards.”

However, Dr Msiska acknowledged that challenges persist, particularly in Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) Technical Assistance (TA). She urged stakeholders to intensify efforts to address these gaps and develop a robust implementation plan for the remaining five months of the financial year.

Meanwhile, Dr Theodora Savory, CIDRZ’s Director of Strategic Information, set the tone for the meeting with a strong call for transparency and collaboration. She encouraged participants to engage in candid discussions, identify effective strategies to achieve targets, and openly address challenges hindering progress.

“Let’s use this platform to assess where we stand, define our priorities, and work together to bridge existing gaps,” Dr Savory emphasised.

And Sylvia Phiri, a Health Systems Strengthening Nurse at Chilenje First Level Hospital, appreciated the meeting and highlighted the need to improve index testing, HIV Testing Services (HTS) testing yield, maternal retesting, and CD4 result management.

Prince Siavwapa, Programme Implementer at Avencion, described the meeting as insightful, highlighting its value in knowledge sharing and strategy refinement. Similarly, Prudence Mulambya, a Health Systems Strengthening Nurse at Matero First Level Hospital, expressed gratitude for the shared strategies focused on enhancing patient care.

The semi-annual planning meeting not only served as a platform for performance review but also reinforced the commitment of CIDRZ, the Ministry of Health, and partners to advancing healthcare delivery in Lusaka District.