Zambart

13/03/2026

13/03/2026

Zambart Joins Ndola Youth in Celebrating Youth Day

Zambart joined youth in Ndola District in commemorating this year’s Youth Day under the inspiring theme “Arise and Soar.” The event brought together young people from across the district to celebrate their role in shaping Zambia’s future while promoting health, empowerment, and community solidarity.

Working alongside its valued partner, Youth in Action, a department of DAPP, Zambart used the occasion to provide essential health services to young people and members of the wider community. The initiative aimed to promote health awareness and encourage early detection and prevention of common conditions.

During the celebrations, Zambart offered several key health services, including:
- HIV testing to promote awareness and prevention.
- Blood pressure screening to support early detection of hypertension.
- Tuberculosis (TB) screening to strengthen ongoing efforts in the fight against TB.

By integrating health services into the Youth Day celebrations, Zambart reaffirmed its commitment to empowering young people with the knowledge and tools they need to lead healthier and more resilient lives. Engaging with youth in community spaces not only increases access to essential services but also creates opportunities for dialogue around health, wellbeing, and prevention.

This initiative reflects Zambart’s continued mission to combine community engagement with evidence-based health interventions, ensuring that public events also become platforms for meaningful health promotion and positive change.

12/03/2026

HAPPY YOUTH DAY Zambia!

Today we celebrate the passion, creativity, and resilience of young people shaping a better tomorrow.

Let this day remind every young person to with purpose, pursue knowledge, and beyond limitations.

12/03/2026

Zambart Women Step Away from Their Desks to Celebrate International Women’s Day

On 6 March 2026, the women of Zambart chose to momentarily set aside the demands of their job descriptions and give that time to something just as important, each other.

After dedicating the early part of the morning to their respective roles from 08:00 to 11:00, the women stepped away from the office environment to celebrate International Women’s Day together under this year’s theme, “Give to Gain.”

The afternoon gathering, running from 11:00 to 15:30, was intentionally designed as a space for fun, bonding, and meaningful engagement. It was a time to connect beyond emails, meetings, reports, and research deadlines — and to invest in sisterhood, reflection, and shared growth.

The theme “Give to Gain” spoke directly to the heart of the celebration. By giving time, attention, support, and encouragement to one another, Zambart women strengthen not only individual confidence and wellbeing but also the collective spirit that drives the institution forward.
Through engaging conversations and interactive activities, today’s celebration recognizes the resilience, professionalism, and excellence that women bring to public health research and institutional leadership.

As the afternoon unfolded, one thing was clear: when women give — whether in the workplace or to each other, the gains are far-reaching.

06/03/2026

Zambart Hosts SOFAR Supervisor Training to Strengthen Research Mentorship

Zambart hosted the SOFAR Supervisor Training from 4–5 March 2026 at its Lusaka offices, bringing together academic supervisors committed to strengthening postgraduate research mentorship in Zambia and across Southern Africa.

SOFAR, funded by EDCTP, is a regional network that supports early-career researchers through fellowships, mentorship, and targeted skills development. The initiative aims to build sustainable research capacity in Southern Africa by strengthening local leadership and promoting equitable research partnerships.

As part of this mission, the network places strong emphasis on capacity building for supervisors, recognizing that effective supervision is essential for the successful development of emerging researchers. The training forms part of SOFAR’s broader objective to equip academic supervisors across participating sub-Saharan African countries with the skills and tools required to guide MSc and PhD candidates effectively.

The custom-designed training programme focused on practical and context-appropriate approaches to postgraduate supervision, mentorship, and researcher development. It aimed to enhance supervision practices while supporting a stronger research ecosystem in Zambia.
During the two-day session, participants explored several key aspects of effective supervision, including:
• The supervision context in Southern Africa
• Modes and models of supervision
• Candidate and supervisor selection
• Roles and responsibilities of supervisors and candidates
• Managing the student–supervisor relationship
• Supervising the research process
• Planning the research journey, including proposal development and thesis structure
• Formative assessment and providing feedback to students
• Supervising postgraduate writing
• Supervising in an AI-enabled environment
• Summative assessment and applying examination criteria
• Nominating and appointing examiners
• Supporting early-career researcher development beyond the thesis

& Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Stellenbosch University

02/03/2026

Building Climate-Resilient Health Systemsin Southern Africa: ASTRA Reviews Progress and Next Steps

Zambart’s Adaptations To Strengthen Healthcare Delivery and Resilience to Extreme Weather Events in Southern Africa (ASTRA) held a two- day consortium meeting, which commenced on 26 February 2026. The primary objective of this first consortium meeting is to review progress made thus far and align on the next phases of implementation. Four PhD students from South Africa, Zambia, and the United Kingdom presented their research ideas.

The ASTRA study employs interdisciplinary approaches to propose, prioritise, and evaluate feasible interventions aimed at strengthening community and health system resilience to Extreme Weather Events (EWEs). The project specifically focuses on vulnerable populations living with HIV and/or tuberculosis in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. Using a mixed-methods design, the study seeks to develop and evaluate interventions that enhance healthcare delivery and resilience during periods of extreme weather disruption across the three participating countries.

The study has several key objectives. These include systematically engaging communities, health service implementers, and policymakers from health-determining sectors to prioritise needs and co-design interventions that strengthen health service delivery within the context of EWEs. The project will also conduct community and health service delivery vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessments to establish health-related EWE vulnerability baselines. Through this collaborative and evidence-driven approach, ASTRA seeks to generate practical, scalable solutions that enhance healthcare continuity and resilience in the face of climate-related challenges in Southern Africa.

25/02/2026

Kumasamilia Ana Atontho: Caring for the Young Ones Through the ZAMSA TB Study

Kumasamilia ana atontho, meaning “caring for the young ones,” captures the core purpose of the ZAMSA TB study, locally known as the Atontho study. The study focuses on protecting young children from tuberculosis (TB) by improving how TB transmission is understood and addressed in high-burden settings.

Pictured is the ZAMSA team conducting community recruitment and sensitisation activities in Lusaka’s Chipata Compound, one of the study sites. The study is also being implemented in Kanyama, where it aims to recruit approximately 2,400 children combined.

The overall aim of the ZAMSA TB study is to develop and validate innovative epidemiological methods for understanding recent TB transmission. This is achieved through convenience serosampling, which measures immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The findings will support the targeted deployment of TB prevention interventions such as TB vaccines and help measure their impact during implementation.

Funded by the Wellcome Trust, the study is conducted by Zambart in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, the University of Cape Town, and the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Project. It aims to recruit children aged 1 to 5 and will be implemented for 4 years.

In Lusaka, the study applies a mixed-methods approach comprising three key components: a cross-sectional study, a nested cohort study, and a qualitative study. The cross-sectional component uses convenience sampling-based IGRA testing among young children attending health facilities for non-illness-related reasons. This is complemented by geospatial mapping using the Electronic Participant Locator (ePaL). In parallel, random community-based sampling is being undertaken to validate the convenience sampling approach. To-date, over 780 children have been recruited, and the study estimates that cross-sectional components will be concluded this year.

By generating new ways to monitor TB transmission, the ZAMSA TB study aims to strengthen TB surveillance, support the identification of transmission hotspots, and inform targeted public health interventions. The surveillance methodology may also be useful for measuring the impact of population-wide interventions like the rollout of novel TB vaccines, which will soon be available. It may also be applied to other infectious diseases.

Importantly, by testing young children for TB infection and assessing them for TB disease, the study facilitates early detection and linkage to care, contributing to improved paediatric TB prevention and control efforts. Through this work, Zambart continues to advance evidence-based solutions that protect the health and well-being of children and communities, thereby Improving_Health_for_All.

Ministry of Health Zambia Wellcome Trust Trust