MARGARET CHISANGA
Lusaka
ZAMBIA has positioned itself at the forefront of global health innovation, becoming only the second country worldwide, following Sri Lanka, to deploy the newly revised Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) Assessment framework.
This is a milestone in the health sector as it evaluates and improves survival rates for mothers and newborns facing life-threatening complications, aimed directly at the most critical hours of childbirth.
A statement from UNFPA indicates that the revised EmONC assessment introduces a more sophisticated, data-driven approach.
“It incorporates new indicators designed to provide a multi-dimensional view of service delivery. Moving beyond basic functionality and availability of equipment, the new framework evaluates the functionality of referral systems to ensure timely transfers; it assesses Infection Prevention and Control measures; and it demands human resources optimization, ensuring the right skills are in the right places,” the statement reads.
The assessment also includes community engagement and the post-natal care continuum, and enhances logistics reliability to guarantee essential equipment and commodities are consistently available.
“Complications such as obstructed labor and severe bleeding after child birth require immediate, high-quality intervention,” the statement reads.
It stated that in Zambia, where maternal mortality remains a pressing public health challenge, the distinction between ‘available’ and ‘fully functional’ care is a matter of life and death. This revised EmONC assessment will therefore act as a diagnostic tool for the health system itself, identifying gaps in quality and capacity of maternal health service provision.
“It will also provide the evidence base needed to strengthen health systems, ensuring that every woman and newborn receives critical care when they need it most.”
Zambia is establishing a blueprint for the continent and the region by being an early adopter. The insights gained here will not only refine national strategies but serve as a replicable model for other African nations. Zambia’s achievements in reducing maternal mortality from 252 to 187 have already helped carve this role for the country and the region.
The multi-sectoral collaboration initiative is spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and UNFPA, with support from University of Zambia, Columbia University and other United Nations agencies, including UNICEF and WHO.
This partnership has been key in shifting the focus to include a stronger emphasis on newborn care alongside maternal health.
“UNFPA has played a central role in elevating EmONC as a cornerstone of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), facilitating high-level knowledge exchange between Zambia, Eswatini and South Africa”.
On the ground, this advocacy translated into clear results, with UNFPA supporting the training of midwives, doctors, and nurses, and securing vital reproductive health commodities to ensure a competent and well-equipped workforce.
The field data collection for the assessment, which targeted over 350 facilities in all 10 provinces, successfully concluded in early December 2025. With analysis and dissemination planned for 2026, the path forward is clear.
“The government’s next priority must be scaling up EmONC services. This requires a shift from project-based funding to sustained domestic investment. By integrating these standards into national health sector plans and budgets as a non-negotiable priority, Zambia will ensure that high-quality emergency care becomes the norm, not the exception.”
