CMMB Zambia

CMMB has a 30+ year history of working in Zambia, where it has been primarily working on improving access to Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) HIV/AIDS services, increasing uptake of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS, implementing community-based HIV prevention programs and preventing and treating malaria and TB.

CMMB Zambia is a locally-registered charitable organization and enjoys a close relationship with the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), the umbrella organization for all faith-based healthcare institutions in Zambia, and the Zambian Episcopal Conference (ZEC). CMMB works with the Ministry of Health’s Provincial and District Health offices in all nine provinces of the country. CMMB Zambia operates under the leadership of Country Director Dr. Moses Sinkala, M.D., M.P.H., a recognized expert in PMTCT and HIV programming and experienced public health professional. CMMB Zambia currently receives more than $2.6 million in annual support during FY12 from a variety of donors, including CDC, USAID PMI, FHI360, Boston University and several private donors.

HIV/AIDS Prevention: Men Taking Action (MTA)™

CMMB launched the Men Taking Action (MTA) program in December 2006 with USAID New Partner’s Initiative (NPI) support. MTA provides education for men about HIV/AIDS prevention, PMTCT, VCT and the importance of antenatal attendance and family-centered testing and care. By working with community and traditional leaders, MTA creates male health champions who encourage their families to use PMTCT and VCT services.  CMMB Zambia worked in collaboration with CHAZ to expand to 31 church health institutions (CHIs), which deliver the program at the local level. The program shows promise for transformative change, as it has increased HIV testing uptake within first-time antenatal clinic (ANC) attendees to 92% from 60% at baseline; increased males testing for HIV from 11.7% to 70% and increased couples HIV testing and counseling (HTC) from 3% to 70% among first-time ANC attendees. Building on this initial project, CMMB also worked with Boston University during FY2011 to implement MTA in several districts of Southern Province.

Community-Based HIV/AIDS Prevention: The Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative (ZPI)

MTA is currently being adapted to the Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative (ZPI), under the leadership and support of FHI360 and USAID. CMMB serves as the technical lead for biomedical HIV prevention services on the four-year project, providing technical assistance on community-based PMTCT, HTC, Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) and Prevention with Positives (PwP) services. CMMB also implements the ZPI package of HIV prevention interventions MTA in North-Western and Luapula Provinces. During CMMB’s first year of programming, CMMB tested nearly 5,000 clients for HIV and reached more than 20,000 clients with evidenced-base HIV prevention messaging. The CMMB Zambia ZPI team also trained 744 community HIV champions and reached nearly 4,000 clients with gender-based violence prevention messages.

Community-Based HIV Prevention: Community Compacts in Western Province

With CDC support, CMMB is partnering with several communities and their traditional leaders in rural Western Province to improve uptake of HIV/AIDS services through the formation of Community Compacts. These five-year compacts mobilize communities to set health targets for HIV prevention, specifically on PMTCT, VCT and other health service uptake. These targets are made in consultation with traditional leader stakeholders and citizens. If the communities achieve the targets – through the implementation of BCC and health systems strengthening program - then they receive a modest incentive for their local health facilities and communities. During its first year and compact, the program tested 1,027 pregnant women for HIV and reached more than 2,600 clients with evidenced-based HIV prevention messages. The program also tested nearly 2,000 clients for HIV in the community.

HIV/AIDS Prevention: Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC)

CMMB launched a pilot adolescent male VMMC program in Lusaka Province that will circumcise more than 500 boys and young men in conjunction with a tailored HIV/AIDS prevention and life skills program. Lessons learned from this pilot will inform CMMB’s expanding VMMC uptake efforts in Northwest Province under the ZPI program.

Neonatal Asphyxia

In partnership with Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) and through a generous grant from the Gerard Health Foundation, CMMB launched a training program for nurses and midwives in 2011-2012 that aims to reduce deaths from neonatal asphyxia in Zambia. Health care workers are trained in protocols of neonatal resuscitation using the latest technology available, a NeoNatalie Newborn Simulator. By the end of 2012, more than 100 health workers and birth attendants will have been trained in the curriculum and equipped with life-saving devices.

Community-Based Malaria Prevention & Control: Malaria Communities Program (MCP)

CMMB is implementing a three-year USAID-supported malaria prevention and control program targeting pregnant women and children under 5 in three districts that are continually ravaged by malaria: Kawambwa, Mwense and Samfya in Luapula Province.  By the project’s end, CMMB will have trained health teams in at least 60 wards in the three districts, increasing positive malaria prevention and treatment behavior among thousands of women and children in Zambia. This community-based behavioral change communication (BCC) program works with traditional and community leaders to spread positive and evidenced-based messages on malaria prevention, such as sleeping under a long-lasting insecticide-treated bednet daily. The program also links with participating health facilities, where community members can access commodities for malaria prevention. CMMB trained 416 traditional leaders, health facility workers and community volunteers to implement the program to date, who have held 544 community BCC events reaching nearly 70,000 community members in these three districts.

Community-Based Leprosy Prevention/Elimination

CMMB works in concert with the government and seven rural church health institutions (CHIs) to train facility-based and community health workers in leprosy management (identification, diagnosis, treatment and disability prevention). This three-year, privately funded capacity-building program will result in stronger detection and reporting of leprosy among the most-at-risk districts in Zambia, helping contribute to the Zambian government’s “Final Push” elimination program.  CMMB’s training and technical assistance at faith-based health facilities and their surrounding communities will ensure cases are prevented, identified and treated earlier.

Tuberculosis (TB) Treatment

From 1999-2002, CMMB operated a tuberculosis program implementing DOTS-Directly Observed Therapy Short Course at Monze Mission Hospital. Recognized as an innovative and successful model, the program was expanded to three districts in Eastern, Southern and Lusaka provinces. Through this program, CMMB trained healthcare workers and community members in both faith-based and government hospitals in these three districts in Zambia. In 2004, this DOTS model was replicated by the Ministry of Health in the six remaining provinces.

Health Systems Strengthening

In May 2005 CMMB initiated a unique volunteer program with Becton Dickinson (BD), a long-time generous contributor of medical supplies. BD professional staff was selected to travel to Zambia for three weeks to provide laboratory training and construction to several remote hospitals.  The trip in 2005 resulted in the construction of medical waste incinerators at two sites, the training of more than 60 laboratory workers, and the eventual completion of a new laboratory at Chilubula.  The five health facilities assisted have experienced steady improvement as a result and report that they continue to rely on the products and equipment donated by BD. A 2006 trip included construction of facilities at Mwandi, further product donations, and the continued education of and support for the Zambian medical community; and two laboratory workers continued the work of their predecessors at Chilonga, Chilubula, and Mpanshya.

Healing Help Pharmaceutical Donations Program: Zambia

In addition to CMMB’s healthcare capacity building programs, CMMB’s Healing Help pharmaceutical donations program responds to the dire shortage of quality medicines in low-income countries. To do this, CMMB seeks and receives donations of high-quality medicines and medical supplies from partners in the pharmaceutical and medical supplies industries. CMMB then ships these medicines and supplies to locations worldwide in response to requests from in-country partners. CMMB made 3 shipments of medicines and supplies to Zambia valued at more than $1.2 million during FY11. These medicines reached some of the most remote areas of the country.

Medical and Public Health Volunteers: Zambia

CMMB’s Medical Volunteer Program (MVP), places U.S. and Canadian-licensed healthcare professionals at healthcare facilities in developing countries for short- and long-term volunteer service and supports CMMB’s regional efforts. During the past 10 years, CMMB placed more than 735 long-term medical volunteers in CMMB partner clinics (including 1,595 short- and 68 long-term volunteers during FY2010). Within Zambia, CMMB placed 23 short- and long-term volunteers that provided more than $127,000 in value of medical and public health services during FY10 and FY11.