WHO Supports Zambia to Strengthen Access to Mental Health Medicines and Services

Lusaka, Zambia - The World Health Organization (WHO) in Zambia with assistance from WHO headquarters, and the Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) is supporting preparations for a national survey that will assess health system performance, with a particular focus on the availability and affordability of essential medicines for neurological and mental health conditions.

This survey marks an important step toward generating the evidence needed to strengthen mental health and neurological care services across the country.

To support preparations for the survey, Dr Fahmy Hanna from WHO Headquarters, Mental Health Department was in the country from 11 to 15 May 2026.

Building the foundation for a national survey

Despite the inclusion of essential neurological and mental health medicines on Zambia's National Essential Medicines List, access to these medicines remains suboptimal. Treatment gaps for chronic neurological and mental health conditions remain unacceptably high, particularly in rural and underserved settings. This survey responds directly to the evidence gap in access and affordability of neurological medicines in the country. It will provide nationally relevant, internationally comparable data to guide policy reforms, improve equity, and strengthen pharmaceutical and service delivery systems.

The planned survey aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of how well the health system is delivering services for people living with mental health and neurological conditions. It will examine critical areas such as access to medicines, service delivery capacity, and financial barriers affecting patients.

The findings are expected to inform national policies, guide resource allocation, and support Zambia's broader efforts to improve service delivery and ensure equitable access to care. It aims to

1. assess the availability of selected essential medicines for neurological and mental health conditions across public, private, and other health service providers in urban, peri-urban, and rural settings.

2. examine health system, regulatory, financing, workforce, and supply chain factors influencing access to neurological and mental health medicines in Zambia through strong engagement with service user associations and representatives among care givers and people with lived mental health and neurological conditions experiences.

The survey will be conducted in urban areas (Lusaka and Copperbelt), peri-urban areas (Eastern and Southern) as well as in rural Zambia (Western and Muchinga).

At National level, the activity will see engagement of institutions responsible for policy formulation, regulation, procurement, financing, and oversight of medicines and develop a set of priority actions through a nationwide roadmap for scaling access at Facility level: Selected public, private, and other (faith-based and non-governmental) health facilities across six purposively selected provinces:

Field visits highlight realities on the ground

As part of the mission by Dr Hanna, the team conducted visits to key health facilities in Lusaka, including the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital, and Chainama Hills College Hospital as well to the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency and the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority. A stakeholder engagement workshop brought together more than 25 actors and service user representatives /PWLE organization to gather their feedback and sensitize them for the upcoming survey.

During these visits, discussions were held with frontline health workers, pharmacists, and facility managers to better understand the availability of essential medicines for mental health and neurological conditions, as well as the operational realities faced in service delivery.

The engagements provided valuable insights into:

• Availability and stock levels of critical medicines
• Challenges in procurement and supply chains
• Human resource and service delivery gaps
• Opportunities to strengthen integrated care

These interactions are helping to ensure that the upcoming survey reflects real system-level challenges and opportunities.

Advancing mental health within Universal Health Coverage

Mental health and neurological conditions are increasingly recognized as a critical component of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, access to essential services and medicines remains a challenge in many settings.

The planned survey will generate vital evidence to support Zambia in addressing these gaps by:

• Informing policies to improve availability and affordability of medicines
• Strengthening health system performance
• Enhancing service delivery for mental health and neurological care
• Supporting equitable access to quality care for all

Strengthening partnership for impact

The joint efforts by WHO headquarters, AFRO and WHO Zambia, and the Ministry of Health highlight the importance of collaboration in tackling complex health system challenges.

By aligning global expertise with national priorities and local realities, this initiative is expected to contribute to more responsive, evidence-driven interventions that improve outcomes for people living with mental health and neurological conditions in Zambia.

The activity underscores WHO's continued commitment to supporting Zambia in advancing Universal Health Coverage and ensuring that no one is left behind in accessing essential health services.