ZNSP

Strategic Action Objective

To provide timely and sound evidence to guide the implementation and policymaking process for malaria control and elimination in Zambia.

The National Malaria Elimination Programme has robust systems for routine and periodic data collection, including the rolling out of DHIS2 to all districts and expansion of the community surveillance system to complement the national HMIS in 107 Districts. Epidemiological impact indicators are well tracked due to the existence of a robust systems for tracking, collection and analysis of epidemiological data. In addition, the programme uses a scorecard that tracks malaria indicators on a quarterly basis across all malaria thematic areas.

Surveillance at Health Facility

At facility level the programme has a weekly reporting system where data is compiled and reported in the malaria rapid reporting DHIS2 platform every Tuesday of the week. This system is currently in 107 of the 116 districts. The programme also relies on the main HMIS data to inform programming planning and implementation.

Surveillance at community Level

The NMEP relies on more than 25,000 Community Health Workers (CHWs) who have been trained across the country for malaria surveillance at community level. This involves passive and active surveillance. Passive surveillance is conducted in all malaria disease burden levels where clients visit CHWs to seek care. In low malaria transmission areas with incidence of less than 200 cases per 1000 population active surveillance in addition to passive is conducted. The active part includes tracing the Index case and conducting malaria tests in houses within 140 meters radius.

Malaria Case Investigation is the other type of surveillance where every reported case is a notification, followed up, and fully investigated within seven days (also known as 1, 3, and 7). This is deployed in areas with less than 49 cases per 1000 population.