Availability and readiness of public health facilities to provide differentiated service delivery models for HIV treatment in Zambia: implications for better treatment outcomes.

Background: There is persistent pressure on countries with a high burden of HIV infection to reach desired targets for HIV treatment outcomes. This has led to moving from the "one-size-fits-all" model to differentiated service delivery (DSD) models, which are meant to be more patient-centered and efficient but without compromising on the quality of patient care. However, for DSD models to be efficient, facilities should have indicators of HIV services available and ready to provide the DSD models.

Implementation strategies for decentralized management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: insights from community health systems in Zambia.

Background: Decentralized management approaches for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) have shown improved treatment outcomes in patients. However, challenges remain in the delivery of decentralized MDR TB services. Further, implementation strategies for effectively delivering the services in community health systems (CHSs) in low-resource settings have not been fully described, as most strategies are known and effective in high-income settings.

Halting and re-issuing of the Zambia community health strategy (2017-2021): a retrospective analysis of the policy process and implications for community health systems.

Background: Over the years, low-and middle-income countries have adopted several policy initiatives to strengthen community health systems as means to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In this regard, Zambia passed a Community Health Strategy in 2017 that was later halted in 2019. This paper explores the processes that led to the halting and re-issuing of this strategy with the view of drawing lessons to inform the development of such strategies in Zambia and other similar settings.

Collaboration for implementation of decentralisation policy of multi drug-resistant tuberculosis services in Zambia.

Background: Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) infections are a public health concern. Since 2017, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Zambia, in collaboration with its partners, has been implementing decentralised MDR-TB services to address the limited community access to treatment. This study sought to explore the role of collaboration in the implementation of decentralised multi drug-resistant tuberculosis services in Zambia.

Exploring the barriers, facilitators, and opportunities to enhance uptake of sexual and reproductive health, HIV and GBV services among adolescent girls and young women in Zambia: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Adolescents and young women in low-middle-income countries face obstacles to accessing HIV, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), and related Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services. This paper presents facilitators, opportunities, and barriers to enhance uptake of HIV, GBV, and SRH services among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in selected districts in Zambia.

Methods: This study was conducted in Chongwe, Mazabuka, and Mongu Districts among adolescent girls and young women in Zambia.

HIV, syphilis and sexual-risk behaviours' prevalence among in-and out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Zambia: A cross-sectional survey study.

Background: In Zambia, 3.8% of young women and men aged 15-24 are HIV positive. However, like in most developing nations, HIV prevalence is higher among young women than young men (5.

Unlocking policy synergies, challenges and contradictions influencing implementation of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Framework in Zambia: a policy analysis.

Background: Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) has recently become salient, but adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights (ASRHR) challenges are still a global health problem. Studying policies which have implications for CSE implementation is a crucial but neglected issue, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Zambia. We analyzed policy synergies, challenges and contradictions influencing implementation of CSE framework in Zambia.

Gender integration and female participation in scientific and health research in Zambia: a descriptive cross-sectional study protocol.

Introduction: Despite the Zambian government making progress on prioritising gender mainstreaming, female participation in science, technology and innovation in academia, research and development is still low. This study aims to determine the integration of gender dimensions and the factors that influence female participation in science and health research in Zambia.

Methods And Analysis: We propose a descriptive cross-sectional study design employing in-depth interviews (IDIs) and survey as data collection techniques.

Experiences of teachers and community-based health workers in addressing adolescents' sexual reproductive health and rights problems in rural health systems: a case of the RISE project in Zambia.

Background: Adolescents in low-and-middle-income countries like Zambia face a high burden of sexual, reproductive, health and rights problems including coerced sex, teenage pregnancies, and early marriages. The Zambia government through Ministry of Education has integrated comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in the education and school system to contribute towards addressing Adolescents sexual, reproductive, health and rights (ASRHR) problems. This paper sought to explore teachers and community based health workers (CBHWs)' experiences in addressing ASRHR problems in in rural health systems in Zambia.

Factors influencing the integration of comprehensive sexuality education into educational systems in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Background: Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) plays a critical role in promoting youth and adolescent's sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing. However, little is known about the enablers and barriers affecting the integration of CSE into educational programmes. The aim of this review is to explore positive and negative factors influencing the integration of CSE into national curricula and educational systems in low- and middle-income countries.

Barriers and facilitators for integration of guidelines on operating health shops: a case of family planning services.

Background: The Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) piloted the implementation of Guidelines on Operating Health Shops in Zambia in 2016, with a view to making basic medicines more accessible to communities. The guidelines aim to transform ordinary drug shops into health shops, which are dispensing facilities permitted to sell a ZAMRA-prescribed list of medicines over the counter. However, studies that explore the integration and uptake of guidelines into the health system are lacking.

Experiences of teachers and community health workers implementing sexuality and life skills education in youth clubs in Zambia.

Zambia, like other low- and middle-income countries, faces numerous adolescent sexual and reproductive health challenges such as teenage pregnancies. This study aimed at understanding teachers' and community health workers' (CHWs) implementation of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) as part of a comprehensive support package for adolescent girls to prevent early childbearing. Data collected using in-depth interviews [ = 28] with teachers [ = 15] and community health workers [ = 13] were analysed using thematic analysis.