World Report

New schools have been built and free primary education introduced

hree-quarters of Zambia’s 11 million-strong population live below the World Bank poverty threshold of one dollar a day. At the same time, Zambia is a country where the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to take a terrible toll.

The government recognises that the key to alleviating poverty lies in macroeconomic stability and growth. The chief objectives of its Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) for the period 2002–2004 are to attain a sustained high level of economic expansion, improve access to social and public services such as education, health, water and sanitation, and combat HIV/AIDS.

The government aims to increase the state’s spending on Poverty Reduction Programmes (PRPs) to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2006. According to its recent report on the strategy, the 2004 budget is based on the premise that “the empowerment of the Zambian people must be the only reason for all development endeavours.” It adds, “This will secure sustained and broad-based developments that will create wealth, reduce poverty and raise the living standards of all the citizens.”

The overall cost of implementing the PRS for the period 2002-2004 is estimated at £729 million. Sixty-seven percent is due to come from external sources but, up until a few months ago, financial aid from international donors was being squeezed after Zambia exceeded agreed budget limits. This, together with domestic resources going to debt servicing and other expenditures, has limited spending on PRP projects.

The release of 50.4 percent of the budget allocation for PRPs allocated last year, however, was a significant improvement over 2002, when only 24.5 percent was released, and progress is being made, albeit more slowly than the government would like.

In education, the building of new schools, improved provision of school materials and books, and the introduction of a free primary education policy have led to increased enrollment of pupils and learning achievements. Remarkable progress has been made at basic school level, although teacher shortages remain a problem, particularly in rural areas.

In the health sector, the government is showing a stronger commitment to addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS than its predecessor. Additional facilities and essential health drugs are being provided, provincial and district hospitals are slowly being rehabilitated and the infant mortality rate has been showing signs of improvement. A national nutrition policy is also being formulated.

Kenneth Kaunda
First President of Zambia

‘First and foremost, we must fight to defeat poverty ’

Agriculture is a key sector in the administration’s poverty reduction efforts. Food security is being promoted by providing subsidised fertiliser to small-scale farmers; a total of 120,000 farm families have benefited so far. Small scale and commercial farming is being supported through out-growers schemes, rural infrastructure investment and animal production and health programmes. A water resources programme is under way to increase access to safe water and sanitation, especially in drought prone areas, and to improve supply for agricultural use.

Dr Kenneth Kaunda, who led Zambia to independence and served as its first President from 1964 to 1991, says that poverty, hunger, ignorance and illiteracy have all contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS. He says: “First and foremost, we must fight to defeat poverty. Unless we do that, drugs will not help us.”

Dr Kaunda backs government moves to boost agriculture and to attract foreign investment into the economy. “We need to be able to feed ourselves,” he says. “I hope the government succeed in attracting investment into mining and the agriculture. We should be capable of providing employment for every young man or young woman.”